so 



A NARRATIVE 



OF THE 



EARLY LIFE, REMARKABLE CONVERSION, 



AND 

SPIRITUAL LABOURS 



OF 



JAMES P. HORTON, 



WHO HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL 
CHURCH UPWARD OF FORTY YEARS* 




PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR, 
1839. 



A NARRATIVE 

or 

JAMES P. HORTON. 



I was born in Fishkill, Dutchess county, 
New-York, on the 17th March, 1769. My 
parents were not professors of religion. But 
my mother lingered a long time with the con- 
sumption ; and on the morning of her last day 
on earth she looked out upon my father and 
his hands, who were at work in the harvest- 
field, and exclaimed, "Ah, you are reaping 
down your harvest, but before the goingdown 
of the sun, I shall be with my Jesus in glo- 
ry !" and at one o'clock that day she took 
her flight to the world of spirits. This, I well 
recollect, was a day of sorrow to me ; my 
heart seemed as if it would break. Previous 
to the death of my mother, I had a severe fit 
of sickness, and sunk away until the fami- 
ly supposed me dead; and prepared my 
grave clothes, and were about to clothe me 
for the tomb : when I revived, and began to 
recover. Though I had received very little 
religious instruction, yet I had many serious 



4 



A NARRATIVE OF 



and solemn thoughts. When a chfld, I 
dreamed the day of judgment had arrived ; 
toward the north, the air, earth, and sky r 
appeared one solid mass of fire. It moved 
toward me, and I was about to be burned 
tip. I was greatly alarmed, and woke up 
affrighted. As soon as I was a little compos- 
ed, I thanked the Lord that it was not a real- 
ity, but a dream. In the morning every thing 
looked solemn ; I went to school with my 
mind deeply impressed with my dream* 
When school was dismissed at 12 o*clock, I 
could not join with my little play-mates, in 
whose sports I used to delight so much ; their 
conduct and conversation w T ere so contrary to 
my feelings, that I stole away from them, and 
went into the woods, and coming to a spot of 
green grass, I threw myself down on my 
back, and looking up toward the heaven, 
I meditated on the greatness of that Being 
who made the world ; my young mind as- 
cended upward, broke through the ethereal 
blue, and centered in God, and in that mo- 
ment light and happiness, such as I had never 
known before, flowed into my souk I dkl 
not know at the time that it was religion. 
It was a dark day, and very little was known 
or said of experimental religion ; I think I was 
at this time about eleven years old. My fa- 
ther married again, and I was sent from home 
to learn the blacksmith's trade ; but I was 
soon taken sick ; and when I recovered, the 
doctor advised my parents to place me at 



JAMES P. HORTON. 5 

^ome other trade, as that did not agree with me. 
So I left it, and went to learn the house carpen- 
ters and joiner's trade; hut the woman of the 
house did not treat me well, and I left that place 
and went to learn the trade of shoe-making, 
in connection with tanning and currying, 
with my step-mother's son. With him I lived 
three years — he treated me ill, and kept me 
to work on the farm. While I lived here, I 
fell into bad company, learned to play cards, 
to curse and swear ; and from these wicked 
habits I went on to drinking, and quarrelling, 
and fighting. When in company I was rest- 
less unless engaged in card-playing, or pitch- 
ing hundreds, or some such exercise. I can- 
not say that I ever loved strong drink ; but 
when in company I wanted to appear like 
a man, and I drank freely. But alas ! instead 
of making me a man, it made me like a devil. 
When I was about sixteen years of age, and 
worked at S. Scriver's, the Rev. Freeborn 
Garrettson and Black Harry came along, 
and stopped for refreshment at Mr. Scriver's, 
who kept a public house; the old gentleman 
told the landlord that if he would invite his 
neighbours in, he would preach them a ser- 
mon ; the landlord consented, and Mr. G. 
preached ; and his sermon came home to my 
heart. I felt as the Samaritan woman did 
when she said, " Come see a man which told 
me all things that ever I did." I thought it 
very strange that a man who had never seen 
me before, should know all about my wick- 
1* 



6 



A NARRATIVE OF 



ed conduct ; and I was deeply impressed with 
the belief that he was a good man, and that 
the Spirit of the Lord was with him ; and that 
he had shown him all my conduct. I then 
thought that the people called Methodists 
were sent of God to reform the world. But 
the preachers travelled on to the north, and 
my light went out. It was not long before I 
was alarmed again ; as I sat one evening at 
supper, there came a ball of fire from the 
north-east, and passed to the south-west, 
making a great light, and causing much fear. 
I was at the time at Mr. Scriver's, where I 
heard Mr. Garrettson preach, about nine miles 
from Poughkeepsie. I believe this meteor 
was seen through a great part of the coun- 
try. After this, I went to Beekmantown, and 
hired to J. W. for six months. While here 
I heard there was to be a Methodist meeting 
held in the old Baptist meeting-house. I 
went, and Mr. Harpending preached. I was 
cut to the heart, and wept under the sermon ; 
for a week after, I slept but little, such was 
my distress of mind. Often when walking 
across the fields by day and by night, I was 
impressed to kneel down and pray. But I 
was afraid some one would see me, and pub- 
lish it through the neighbourhood; for many 
professors as well as non-professors, told 
strange stories about the Methodists, and 
seemed to think they did God service by per- 
secuting them. 

After the time for which I hired to Mr. W. 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



7 



was out, my cousin A. Byrd and myself 
went down to Whiteplains. Here I associat- 
ed with my cousins, and went with them con- 
stantly into young company, where jesting 
and merriment soon drove away my serious 
reflections, and I became more hardened in 
sin than ever. 

I came of age on the 1 7th of March, and on 
the 18th I married, and lived one year with 
my father-in-law. The next year I lived with 
my father, then I moved near the Friends' 
meetinghouse in Oswego, the next year in G. 
Livingstpn'6 house, and the next year in a place 
called Logtown, near Three Taverns. Here I 
took full swing in drinking, card-playing, dan- 
cing, and serving the devil with all my might. 

One night, after playing cards until a late 
hour, I returned home very unhappy. When 
I arose in the morning, I started for the ta- 
vern ; it being extremely cold, I called at a 
house on the way to warm myself. I enter- 
ed a room in which a coloured woman was 
sitting by a good fire. I took a place near the 
fire ; had not been seated long, before a doc- 
tor K. came in, and asked me if I was going 
to the funeral that day. I inquired who was 
dead ; he informed me that J. D. had lost his 
little child. I expressed my sorrow for the 
death of the child, when the doctor began to 
curse and swear in the most awful manner I 
ever heard ; wicked as I was, I was shocked 
at his profanity. He then advanced impious 
principles, such as I had never before heard ; 



s 



A NARRATIVE OF 



I was amazed at the man, and in the midst of 
my amazement, there was an impression 
made on my mind, as if by a voice — what if 
it should be your turn next — you are unpre- 
pared to meet your God, and hell must be 
your portion. The voice tome seemed loud- 
er and more terrific than all the thunder I had 
ever heard. I felt as though I should fall 
dead upon the floor, and plunge into hell. I 
sprang up with what strength I had, got hold 
of the door and passed out, supporting my- 
self against the side of the house, until I 
reached the fence. Every thing around me 
looked dark and dreadful. I knew not what to 
make of all this. After a while I recovered 
my strength, and went on to the tavern. 
The family being at breakfast, I waited until 
they finished, and then called for a glass of 
bitters. While the woman of the house was 
pouring out the liquor, I was struck with ano- 
ther tremour: I left the bitters and the tavern 
and hastened home, a miserable, unhappy 
man. My wife and children no longer ap- 
peared to me as they formerly did. I felt as 
if I had no friend either in heaven or on 
earth. Throughout the day my soul was dis- 
quieted in me, and I had no rest in my body. 
I walked back and forth and knew not what to 
do. When night came on, I resolved to go 
to a certain place where I knew there would 
be merriment and song, hoping that the pre- 
sence of my jovial associates would drive 
away my gloom. I accordingly went to the 
place ; the jest and song began, but I soon 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



9 



found it was no place for me. I left the com- 
pany, returned home, took a light supper, 
and retired to bed, but could find no rest. 
Sleep departed from my eyes. My misery 
was so great that life was a burden, and I de- 
termined to end it. So I crawled out of bed, 
and prepared my knife, and was about to end 
my wretched life, when an awful impression 
seized me, that hell would be my doom, and 
I withheld my hand. O the mercy of God 
in restraining me in that dreadful moment of 
desperation ! Surely I am a u brand plucked 
out of the burning." 

After residing two years in this place, I re- 
moved to Oswego. Here I became involved 
in a lawsuit with J. I. and his brother-in-law 
in the following manner : I was intoxicated 
one day, and the two young men teased and 
ridiculed me until I became angry, and took 
after them, but they got away without my 
touching either of them. At night when I 
came home, and was entering the door of my 
house, four men and the wife of J. I. seized 
me, and throwing me down, succeeded in 
binding my arms with a pair of lines ; when 
they, supposing me secure, released their 
hold of me. With a violent surge, I broke 
the lines ; and they fled from me, and took 
shelter in their house. If they had not fled 
from me at this time, such was my anger, 
I should have hurt them. My arms were 
much injured by their violence, and my fa- 
ther insisted that I should prosecute them ; 



10 



A NARRATIVE OF 



but I felt disposed rather to pay them in my 
own way. I was however prevailed upon to 
prosecute, and accordingly commenced a 
suit. And they immediately commenced a 
prosecution in behalf of the people. There 
were soon served upon me writs enough 
to make a winding sheet for me. By disho- 
nesty and false swearing, they obtained judg- 
ment against me, and I was sent to jail. 
Here I was confined fifteen months, four of 
which I was on the limits. During this time 
my enemies sold out and removed to Pitts- 
town ; and my suit against them only served 
to consume what money I made by working 
at my trade during my confinement. 

I remained a wicked rebel against God ; 
yet my convictions would often return : none 
but God knows what I suffered when the vil- 
lage bell gave notice by its solemn toll that 
a soul had gone into eternity. I would leave 
my work, throw myself on my bed, and roll 
in such an agony that it seemed as if every 
breath would be my last, and my poor soul 
would sink down to the bottomless pit. 
Then the terrors of the Lord would pass 
away, and I would drink, and sing, and 
daoce, without any thought or care for God 
or my soul. 

One day, during my confinement, the go- 
vernor of the state visited the village. He 
was welcomed by the waving of flags and the 
firing of guns. One of my fellow-prisoners, 
J. G., had a small pistol ; so we hung a flag 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



out of the window, and fired salutes on the 
occasion too. The governor* hearing of our 
doings, sent us four crowns ; we immediately 
sent out and got two flasks of spirits, and 
drank freely. I then went below stairs, and 
fired a salute to the debtors in No. 1. Mr. 
F., the keeper of the prison, was from home ; 
Mrs. F. was alarmed, and asked if I meant 
to let the prisoners out; I told her I would 
soon have them all at liberty. She locked 
the outside door, and I continued firing at it 
until she believed I was about to accom- 
plish what I had threatened, and scream- 
ed for help until some men who were within 
hearing came running to her assistance ; and 
when they saw what I was about, they went 
off laughing at my frolic. At another time 
when the keeper was absent, I kept Mrs. F. 
up all night. I had a large flat lap-stone ; 
this I raised up with both hands as high as I 
could reach, and dashed it with all my might 
upon the floor ; the noise was like the roaring 
of a cannon. I kept this up all night, declar- 
ing in reply to Mrs. F.'s remonstrances, that 
I was tired of being caged up, and meant to 
beat the prison down. 

After this C. F. was brought to prison, 
charged with forgery ; he and the other cri- 
minals agreed to give me twenty dollars if I 
would break the jail, so that they could es- 
cape. I undertook the business ; and having 
got a bar of iron off the doorpost, which 
served for a crow-bar, I entered upon the 



12 



A NARRATIVE OF 



work at night when all was still. During 
the day one of the company feigned sick, and 
his bed concealed from the keeper the doings 
of the night. In three nights I had got 
through the wall, excepting one large stone, 
which I had not time to remove ; I told the 
prisoners they must wait till the next night 
before we attempted to escape ; but they were 
impatient, and in their efforts to remove the 
stone, they threw dirt out, which, dropping 
on the snow, showed plainly in the morning 
what we had been about. The criminals were 
then removed into an upper room, except C. 
F. ; he was hoppled, and turned into my 
room. I then laid another plan to liberate 
C. F. His brother brought him a load of 
long wood ; we got it into the hall, and at 
night, after all was still, I made a ladder of 
the wood, on which I mounted to the ceiling, 
tore off the lath, and commenced boring ; but 
the timber was pine, and my auger would not 
take hold; and after labouring some time in 
vain, I came down, and bored about a hundred 
holes in the oak plank. In the morning 
after playing some pranks with the jailer, I 
showed him what I had been at, telling him 
at the same time, that if my auger had work- 
ed as well in the pine as it did in the oak, we 
should all have been uncaged before morning. 

After this we laid another plan, in which we 
succeeded. C. F.'s wife and sisters, and one 
pretending to be his mother, came to pay 
him a visit the week before his trial Was to 



JAMES. P. HORTON. 



13 



come on ; his wife was to remain with him 
during the night. When night approached, 
and it began to be time for the visiters to de- 
part, I took off his hopples, and dressed him 
in his pretended mother's clothes : and when 
matters were all arranged, I went and in- 
formed the keeper that C. F.'s mother and 
sisters wished to return. They were let out, 
and C. F. made his escape into Canada. 

While I was on the limits, my father, who 
was my security, sold his farm ; and fearing 
that, as he was no longer a freeholder, the 
sheriff would lock me up, I determined to be 
off ; so I broke my limits, and marched 
away. I was proceeding leisurely along the 
road, singing as I went, when about a mile 
from town, I met a company of men, who 
persuaded me to go back ; and I returned to 
my quarters. But finding the jailer was de- 
termined to lock me up, I seized on the op- 
portunity afforded by his going for the key, 
and sprang out of the window, and made my 
escape. I went up to my brother-in-law's. My 
father, hearing that I had broken the limits, 
determined to take my life : as I was sitting, 
I happened to look out at the door, and saw 
my father approaching and within a few rods 
of the house, with a gun on his shoulder. I 
immediately leaped out of the window, and 
ran for my life ; I knew not where to go. 
This happened in the month of December. 
I felt like an outcast, wandering about, and 
concealing myself in barns-. This course of 
2 



14 



A NARRATIVE OF 



exposure brought on a severe illness, and 1 
was carried to the house of J. Wilkinson, 
where I lay in an upper room, and was given 
up by the physicians to die. My fever rag- 
ed to such a degree, that I felt as if I should 
burn up. My eyes felt like balls of fire, and 
in this wretched state I felt no care for my 
poor soul, but was angry that the Lord did 
not take me out of my misery. After about 
ten days and nights of extreme suffering, I 
fell asleep, and dreamed that the blessed Je- 
sus came riding toward me ; he smiled as he 
turned about and handed me a small basket, 
bidding me to eat what was in it : he then 
rode away. His hair hung down his neck 
like streams of gold ; I felt a love for him, 
and wanted to go with him. I looked into 
the basket, and found small cakes about the 
size of a dollar; I broke one, and put it into 
my mouth ; it dissolved, and became pure 
water, and ran down upon my bosom. No- 
thing but the love of God could give sensa- 
tions like those I then experienced. I imme- 
diately awoke, my fever and headache were 
all gone. I soon dropped into a slumber 
again, and dreamed that I was dead, and laid 
in my coffin, and that the people carried me 
to the orrave. I saw the grave open : I was 
placed upon the earth thrown out of the grave : 
while they were preparing to let me down 
into the grave I was brought to life, and rose 
up out of my coffiin ; and as my feet struck 
the ground, the sun, moon, and stars appear- 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



15 



ed over my head, and so near that I could 
reach them with my hand. All nature was 
clothed in such dazzling splendour, that I was 
in an ecstacy of delight; and leaping up, and 
clapping my hands together, and shouting, 
" Glory to God!" I waked myself up. My 
eyes were now opened, and I felt thankful to 
the Lord that he had not taken me out of the 
world : for I felt assured, that if I had died 
then, I must have gone to hell. I then so- 
lemnly promised that if the Lord would 
spare me, I would lead a new life. In the 
morning I left my bed, and took my seat by 
the fire ; and casting my eyes on the mantel- 
piece, I saw a book ; I took it down, and 
found that it was John Bunyan's Vision of 
Heaven and Hell. I read, and my heart was 
affected, and my tears flowed freely. In 
about two weeks I walked up to my brother- 
in-law's. In the evening J. F. and his' wife 
called on me, and talked about their mother 
having experienced religion, and professing 
to know that God had forgiven her sins. I 
thought if one could know it, all might, as 
Christ died for all : and I immediately resolv- 
ed that I would try and know it for myself. 

One of my cousins had moved to Niskayuna. 
He had been a great enemy to the Methodists, 
but after moving to that place he and his 
family had joinedthem, so I concluded that was 
the place to which I ought to go, as I could not 
with safety remain where I was. Accordingly, 
on the 3d of February, I left my wife and 



16 



A NARRATIVE OF 



children to the mercy of their friends ; took 
my kit upon my back, and without a cent of 
money in my pocket started for Niskayuna. 
I concluded my cousins would not have joined 
a people they once abhorred, unless some- 
thing more than nature had moved them. On 
Monday I reached Livingston's Manor; as I 
had no money I tried to get a night's lodging 
in a private house, but could not ; the people 
were all Dutch, and seemed shy of me. I in- 
quired if there were any English in the neigh- 
bourhood, and was informed that a Mr. A. 
lived about a mile off. I travelled on and 
found the house ; here I was kindly received 
and furnished with supper and a bed ; in the 
night I waked up, and was so sore and lame 
by travelling that I could not turn myself in 
the bed in the morning. I told Mr. A. that! 
could not travel, and proposed that he should 
get some leather and let me make him up 
some boots — to this he agreed ; and the peo- 
ple, liking my work, kept me employed in the 
neighbourhood from the 6th of February to 
the 17th of March, which was my birthday. 
I then started on my journey again, having 
about twelve dollars in money; in the course 
of the day I stepped into a tavern and took a 
glass of bitters ; it flew into my head and un- 
manned me. This was on the Sabbath. I came 
to myself on Monday morning, and was in 
deep distress ; on Tuesday night I lay alone 
in a room, expecting every moment to be 
carried off by devih, with which the room 



JAMES P< HORTON. 17 

seemed to be filled. I began to pray and 
found some relief; in the morning I started 
on my journey again, having only one shilling 
and seven pence \ what had become of the 
rest of my money I could not tell. When I 
came to Hudson I thought it would be best to 
stop awhile and work at my trade, and clothe 
myself more decently before I went among 
my relatives. I accordingly left my kit at a 
house and called on a Mr. P., who agreed to 
employ me ; I returned for my bundle, but 
before I reached Mr. P.'s again I was seized 
with such awful sensations that all the wealth 
of Hudson would not have induced me to re- 
main. I felt as if a fire was burning between 
my bones and flesh. I left Hudson immedi- 
ately, and reached Albany on Thursday ; 
there I found some Methodist friends who took 
me in their sleigh to Niskayuna. I stopped at 
the house of S. H. The next day Elias Van- 
derlip preached. I went to hear him ; when 
he prayed, it seemed as if all his prayer was 
for me— and when he took his text and com- 
menced preaching, I thought every word was 
meant for me ; this seemed strange — -I had 
only arrived here the night before, and I 
thought my friends had told the preacher all 
about my wicked life, and now the preacher 
was publishing it to the whole congregation : 
this did not appear to me to be doing exactly 
as they would be done by. I thought the eye 
of every person was on me. I sat trembling, 
the tears running down my face and falling on 
2* 



IS 



A NARRATIVE OF 



the floor. I hardly knew what ailed me ; some- 
times when the preacher raised his voice, 
one cried out 44 Amen," and another, 44 Glory 
to God this all seemed strange to me — 
after some reasoning in my mind, I concluded 
the people were sincere worshippers of God, 
and at the last prayer I fell upon my knees 
with them. When the meeting closed, I left 
the house, seeing myself as I never had be- 
fore — I went home with my cousin. In the 
evening the people began to assemble : some 
came in sleighs, and some on foot; they soon 
began to sing and pray, and I kneeled with 
them during the last prayer, which was of- 
fered by S. H. I felt a sudden flash of hap- 
piness, and thought at the time it was an 
answer to his prayer, but it was soon gone ; 
I longed for its return, and thought if I could 
feel so all the time it would be enough, and I 
should be a happy man ; I went out of the 
house and kneeled down in the snow, and 
prayed for that good feeling, but it came not. 
The next day, as I was walking along the road, 
I thought I would willingly kneel down in the 
road and pray, if I could but feel as I had felt 
the night before. I kneeled down and prayed, 
but I felt no better ; when I rose from my 
knees, there was an old coloured man coming 
along the road with a fiddle on his back; I 
at first felt ashamed that he had seen me on 
my knees praying in the road, and was afraid 
he would tell of it, but I concluded he did not 
know me, and my shame and fear passed off. 



JAMES P. H0RT0N. 



19 



I continued attending meetings and trying to 
be good, but I still remained unhappy. On 
Sabbath the 28th of March, I went to meeting 
and heard preaching ; on my way back to my 
cousin's, it was suggested to my mind that I 
had sinned away my day of grace, and that 
there was no mercy for me ; I began to feel as 
if it was really so, and that the Methodists 
thought so too, and did not want me with them. 
I recollected, too, that I had heard them often 
pray that 44 the stumbling blocks might be 
taken out of the way," and the devil, taking 
advantage of the state of my mind, led me to 
believe they meant me ; and I thought if this 
was their wish in reference to me, I would go 
no more among them ; but if my life was 
spared till Monday morning, I would take my 
kit and start for Quebec, and have my full 
swing in wickedness if I must go to hell at 
last. There was to be a prayer meeting at 
night : a little before sunset, as I sat by the 
fire, something seemed to say, " Well, you are 
not going to meeting to night the answer 
in my mind was short, 44 No !" then it was sug- 
gested, 44 You had better go, you know not 
what the Lord may do for you ;" my pur- 
pose was immediately changed, I determined 
to go, and began to believe there was yet hope 
in my case; accordingly, when meeting time 
came I went. Brother Vanderlip was there. 
He stood up and cried out, 44 If there are any 
gospel-hardened sinners here, the Lord have 
mercy on them, for of all sinners their case is 



20 



A NARRATIVE OF 



the most deplorable." It appeared to me just 
as if the Lord Jesus stood before me and said, 
" Thou art the man ;" except you repent hell 
will be your doom ; I trembled exceedingly, 
and fell upon my knees, while mountains of 
darkness rolled in upon my poor soul. I 
thought I was about to sink into hell. Bro- 
ther Vanderlip kneeled down by my side and 
exhorted me to pray, but it was all gloom ; 
after struggling awhile with the powers of 
darkness, which all seemed let loose upon me, 
I tried to pray, and when I prayed, light and 
love and joy and peace flowed in upon my 
soul, and I rejoiced in God my Saviour ; after 
meeting, I went home with my cousin, giving 
glory to God at every step ; at first I was 
afraid to go to bed, lest I should fall asleep 
and lose my peace ; at length I lay down and 
slept: I awoke early, dressed, and ran into 
the woods, and kneeled before the Lord in 
prayer, and the good Lord blessed me power- 
fully, and I was very happy. I made great 
reckoning of the prayer meeting to be held 
on Thursday night; when the time came I 
went, and found several Methodist preachers. 
One opened the meeting, another rose and ex- 
horted the people to come forward and pray ; 
I supposed he spoke to me, and thought if I 
did not go he would think I had not experi- 
enced religion ; so I rose up, gave out a hymn 
in a very crooked way, kneeled down and be- 
gan to pray. I had uttered but a few words, 
when the power of God came down upon me. 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



21 



I could say nothing but "Glory !" preachers 
and people shouted aloud all round the house ; 
from that time I have always had something 
to say for my Lord and Master in prayer 
meetings. I felt deeply impressed that the 
Lord had called me to warn sinners to repent 
and flee the wrath to come, and I began the 
work at once. 

One night, while reading a book that had 
fallen in my way, I was convinced of the great 
need of holiness of heart ; tears gushed from 
my eyes, I laid the book down, went out of 
the house, and kneeled in prayer behind a 
wood pile, and wrestled with the Lord for 
holiness of heart. For about three weeks I 
ate and slept but little. I could not work. I 
felt continually a sweet drawing of soul. 
Heavenly light increased — God's great mercy 
and unbounded goodness were ever before me. 
His love to me was great indeed, and I felt 
that I did not love him as I ought in return. 
I had no fear, no condemnation, and yet I 
felt as if I should die if I could not feel that I 
loved the Lord with all my heart and with all 
my soul. I started to go to P. C.'s. I took a 
foot path through the pine woods : on my way 
I kneeled beside the path in secret prayer. 
While I was praying, it seemed to me as if a 
person walked back and forth near me, but 
thinking it a temptation of the devil to distract 
my mind, I kept praying : then something ran 
around me among the leaves and touched my 
coat. I thought the devil had come and was 



22 



A NARRATIVE OF 



determined to interrupt me, and I broke out 
aloud in earnest prayer, and continued till I 
heard no noise among the leaves ; I then 
opened my eyes, and looking around, saw a 
woman on her knees, and a little dog by her, 
which had been running about and touching 
my coat while I prayed ; I arose from my 
knees and hastened to Knox's house ; I had 
not been there long before the woman came 
in, and said she was passing by me when I 
broke out in prayer, and hearing me, she 
went back and kneeled down a short distance 
behind me. I remained at K.'s that night ; the 
next day was the Sabbath ; in the morning as 
I sat by the fire, with my heart lifted up in 
prayer, all at once the glories, of the world, 
with its cities and kingdoms, seemed spread 
out before me in all their beauty; the impres- 
sion was so strong that it seemed a reality — 
I regarded it as a temptation of the devil to 
draw my heart away from God, and I called 
on the name of the Lord, and the illusion 
vanished ; then I was assaulted again : a hor- 
rible oath seemed to come up from my heart, 
and struggle to escape from my lips; I clap- 
ped both hands to my mouth and held on with 
all my might, lifting my heart to God in prayer, 
and I gained the victory ; I went out into the 
woods and prostrated myself on the ground, 
thinking I would not rise up until the Lord 
had given me the desire of my heart ; presently 
it appeared to me, that I had been there so 
long that the meeting had been dismissed, 



JAMES P. H0RT0K. 



23 



and I hastened to J. B.'s house, where the 
meeting was to be held, and when I got there 
I found none present but the family ; 1 then 
saw it was a trick of the enemy ; I at once 
resolved to go into the woods and remain 
there until the Lord had accomplished in me 
all the good pleasure of his will ; accordingly 
I went, and coming to a large pine log I 
thought I would sit down and meditate on 
the sufferings of my blessed Saviour ; as I 
was in the act of sitting down, a bright sheet 
of glory fell upon me, and these words seemed 
to be spoken to me, 44 Be a child of mine and 
I will be a father unto thee, and thou shalt 
see where thou art to dwell." Whether in 
the body or out of the body, the Lord knows, 
but it appeared to me that if I had been taken 
right up into glory, I could not have been 
happier than I was then ; the Lord Jesus re- 
vealed himself to me as my Saviour from all 
sin ; his side was open, and the purple stream 
flowed freely and my soul bathed in the cleans- 
ing fountain, like a dove by the sea shore; 
then Lot's wife was brought to my view, and 
the words of Jesus when he said, 44 No man, 
having put his hand to the plough, and look- 
ing back, is fit for the kingdom of God ;" af- 
ter this, the heavens seemed to open, and I 
saw there my mother who died when I was a 
little boy, in shining glory, and beyond her, 
innumerable angels in robes of golden light. 

When I came to myself, I was sitting erect 
upon the log, but an angel tongue could not 



24 



A NARRATIVE OF 



describe the bliss and glory that my soul and 
body felt. I left the place, and went to the 
house where meeting was to be held, the 
people were collecting — my soul was so filled 
with the love of God, and with love to my 
fellow-men, that I could look on no one with- 
out tears gushing from my eyes ; each one 
seemed like an immortal being for whom 
Christ wept and groaned, and bled and died. 
I took brother Vanderlip aside, and begged 
him to let me exhort the people after he 
had finished preaching ; but he refused, and 
said I was crazy. I know not how I appeared 
to him and others, ; but 44 bless the Lord, O my 
soul," I felt as if I had just come to my right 
mind. I was tempted by the devil to keep 
my late experience of God's wonderful mercy 
to myself: he told me that the people would 
not believe it although it was the truth, and 
the sin of their unbelief be chargeable to me ; 
but at the first meeting I attended, I told it 
all, and J. W. and his mother believed my 
testimony, and before I left the place, they 
both experienced the blessing of perfect love. 

I now felt it my duty to return to Dutchess 
county, and asked for a certificate, but they 
did not think proper to give me one. I had 
obtained such a wonderful baptism of the Ho- 
ly Ghost, I was so full of the love, and fire, 
and power of God, and my mind so trans- 
ported with heaven, by raptures, that I was 
constrained almost always while in meeting, 
and especially when I was exercising, to give 



JAMES P. HORT0NV 



2& 



vent to my feelings, by praising my blessed 
Saviour aloud : thus my dear good Methodist 
friends had got into the notion that I was cra- 
zy. They were wonderfully afraid that I 
should not hold on long, and though they 
thought it would do well enough for them to 
bear with what they thought to be my weak- 
ness, yet they could not be persuaded to give 
me a certificate of membership, and send me 
off among strangers. But, glory to God, I had 
just come to my right mind ; I was as ration- 
al and as happy as a little angeL Yes ! some 
of them had their pride considerably mortified z- 
they wanted to appear respectable in the eyes 
of the world. I made such a dreadful time 01 
it, according to their notions, whenever I 
prayed, or exercised. I hallooed so loud it 
would frighten the devil's children. They 
felt ashamed of me ; and some were afraid the 
cause of God would be injured rather than re- 
ceive advantage by my public exercises. But 
bless the Lord, I was as happy and as hum- 
ble as a little disciple of Jesus could be. I 
was sorry to see my brethren in so much 
trouble on my account ; but none of their do- 
ings disturbed me in my course. I knew that 
my Master Jesus called me to exercise in that 
way, and as an evidence of it he was with me 
every moment; and his smile kindled up 
such a flame of glory in my soul that all the 
opposition of my dear friends could not put it 
out, I knew that I was powerfully operated 
upon by some supernatural influence, and that 
3 



26 



A NARRATIVE OF 



it was not the devil ; because, though he 
could imitate many things in religion, and, 
when it suited his purpose, feign to be a great 
Christian; yet he could not counterfeit love, 
and fill my soul full of love to God and all 
his creatures, and make me so good natured 
as I felt all the time : so I said, " Wei], if I could 
not have a certificate that I belonged to the 
Methodist Church, glory to God ! they could 
not take from me the blessed privilege of lov- 
ing God and my brethren, and of having in 
my heart the witness of the Spirit that I was 
his child. I concluded that was a living cer- 
tificate, signed by the great Head of the 
Church ; and though it might be disputed 
here by my brethren, it would go well 
enough by and by. And what was better 
than all, neither my brethren, the world, nor 
the devil, could take it away from me, for I 
had it deep in my heart; and though my dear 
brethren refused to acknowledge me while God 
blessed me so, and converted and sanctified 
souls through my humble instrumentality, I 
was resolved to go on. So I stayed two or three 
weeks there, and worked at my trade ; and the 
brethren thought a little better of me, and con- 
cluded, though I might be a little too noisy 
in my exercises, yet as I was so very good- 
natured that I would not hurt any body, 
that they would give me a certificate, and 
let me go abroad. So I obtained my pa- 
per and started, and went to Pittstown to vi- 
sit a brother. I found that the people who 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



27 



had caused my confinement in jail, had re- 
moved to this neighbourhood. I called at 
their houses, and told them that God had for- 
given me all my sins; and solemnly warned 
them of their danger, and exhorted them to 
repent. After this, I had a meeting in my 
brother's barn, and some of these people at- 
tended. I had great liberty in speaking; my 
brother and his wife experienced religion y and 
some of my former enemies too found the 
" pearl of great price." 

I went into the neighbourhood of the 
Millers, who used to live in Whiteplains. 
They told me that Lorenzo Dow was to preach 
the next day, which was Sabbath ; his ap- 
pointment was about twelve miles distant. 
In the morning a number of us started on foot 
to hear him. Soon after we arrived Dow 
came, and preached from these words* 
" Stand still and see the salvation of the 
Lord." While he preached, the Lord ble- 
ssed me in such a wonderful manner, that 
I shouted aloud. After he had finished his 
sermon, he came to me and wanted to know 
who I was, and where I came from ; I told 
him. "Now," said he, "you must meet me 
next Tuesday at 10 o'clock, in Troy, and we 
will scour the city." Accordingly on Tues- 
day morning, after I had breakfasted, and 
prayed with my brother and his family, I 
started for Troy ; I prayed in every house on 
the road for about six miles. When I arriv- 
ed, I could see nothing of Dow, but being 



28 



A NARRATIVE OF 



full of zeal I entered the stores and dwell- 
ings, exhorting all that came in my way ; I 
went into a baker's shop, the woman was sit- 
ting alone, her husband came in, and I pray- 
ed with them, and rising up, I began to ex- 
hort them j the man said, " What in God's 
name is coming to pass ? there was a man 
here a little while ago, with a handkerchief 
tied on his head, who talked just as you do.'* 
I told them that God was going to thunder them 
down to hell, if they did not repent. I left 
him and went on, till I came to a company of 
men under arms ; I begged their attention ; 
ihey all took off their hats, and I exhorted 
them ; when I got through they thanked me. 
I then went into the prison, and exhorted the 
prisoners, and prayed for them ; and spent 
the rest of the day in going from house to 
house ; at night I found Dow, and heard him 
preach again. At this time there were only 
two Methodists in Troy, old father Curtis 
and his wife. The next morning I started, in 
company with Dow, to scour Albany. After 
we had proceeded about a mile and a half, I 
began to be sorely tempted of the devil, to be 
ashamed of the course I had pursued in Troy. 
He told me if I went back there the people 
would set on me with hoop poles, and drive 
me from the city ; he tried to persuade me 
that the friends in Niskayuna would hear of 
my conduct before I got there, and turn me 
out of their houses ; my mind became de- 
pressed, and the devil told me I was a poor 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



29 



deluded creature ; but I resolved that if I 
was deluded, and still in the way to hell, I 
would go over every inch of the ground pray- 
ing for light ; I was sure I had met with a 
great change, for I used to hate my enemies 
and f was afraid to die : now I loved my ene- 
mies, and the fear of death was gone. I took 
courage and began to pray, and the Lord 
heard me, and came to my deliverance, and 
blessed me powerfully. When we came to 
Albany, Dow took one street and I took ano- 
ther ; we spent the day in warning the people 
from house to house; no one opposed me ex- 
cept one man : he was cutting wood when I 
began to exhort him ; he threatened to knock 
my brains out with his axe ; I told him I had 
the advantage of him, for I loved him, and 
would pray for him. 

At night Dow preached in the Methodist 
meeting-house ; his discourse was concerning 
Jacob and Esau ; when he finished his ser- 
mon, he told the people that if they were not 
satisfied with the proof he had advanced, that 
Esau was no reprobate, in the Calvinistic 
sense of that term, he could bring many more 
passages to prove it. We remained in Alba- 
ny that night; the next morning I accompa- 
nied Dow to the boat, and took my farewell 
of him. I then went to the patroon's house, 
and knocked: he came to the door ; after bid- 
ding him good morning, I told him I had a 
message from God to him, I delivered it : he 
thanked me, and I left him. I then went to 
3* 



30 



A NARRATIVE OF 



Niskayuna : the people were all glad to see 
me ; I remained with them about ten days., 
and they gave me a certificate. Word came 
to the place that Dow was to preach again in 
Albany. P. N., and F., a local preacher, and 
myself, went to hear him ; after meeting we 
got into our wagon, and proceeded on our 
way about a mile, when the Lord blessed me 
wonderfully, and I could not refrain from 
laughing ; I made an effort to cease, but could 
not ; it seemed as if'my neck would unjoint ; 
presently the same affection seized P. N. and 
F. We drove up to the barn, and waited there 
until it passed oft. The next night, at prayer- 
meeting, I was affected in the same manner 
again, and so were all in the house, except 
one woman. I was happy, and all appeared 
to be in the same delightful frame of mind. 

The next day I took my leave of this good 
people, and started for quarterly meeting, 
about fifty miles distant. The w T eather was 
very showery, and the water running in the 
road, so I took off my shoes, and tramped 
on barefoot, and arrived safely. The meet- 
ing was held in a barn ; on Sabbath morning 
a love-feast was held ; during the prayer the 
power of the Lord came upon me, and I shout- 
ed aloud ; two men fell to the floor. We had 
a good love-feast ; when they took up the col- 
lection I threw in every cent I had. I felt as 
if I owed all, under God, to the Methodist 
preachers, who had been instrumental in 
plucking me, as a brand from the burning. 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



31 



The preaching was to be in the grove ; I 
waited until the people had all gone to the 
grove, and then I followed on ; I was assured 
that I should have a great meeting ; when I 
got there, brother Hutchinson was preaching 
Dow and J. Mitchel were sitting in the wag- 
on ; I stood and heard, and the power of the 
Lord came upon me in such a manner that I 
fell to the earth ; the people came to me, took 
off my cravat, unbuttoned my vest, and fan- 
ned me ; I heard all that was said : the Scrip- 
tures opened to me as they never did before. 
I was happy, but my strength was gone ; 
when I had partially recovered myself I 
got up, and was led through the congrega- 
tion, clapping my hands, and shouting glory ! 
the people fell all through the congregation, 
like men slain in battle. Some of the Metho- 
dists thought I was possessed of a devil, 
because of the confusion I had made, and 
no one asked me into his house. I went into 
the barn, and lay down on the straw, as hap- 
py in my soul and body as I could live. 

In the morning I arose, took my bundle and 
started on ; I stopped in a house and exhorted 
them to seek religion, and sang and prayed 
with them ; they asked me if I had been to 
breakfast. I told them no, nor to supper nor 
to dinner either ; so they gave me my break- 
fast and I went on : between daylight and 
dark I came to a house and went in, and be- 
gan to talk about Jesus ; the people were good 
Presbyterians : the old lady ordered her girls 



32 



A NARRATIVE OF 



to get me some supper ; after which, we had 
a good lime in singing and prayer ; I re- 
mained all night, and after breakfast I jour- 
neyed on. I let none pass me without warn- 
ing them to " flee the wrath to come," except 
one wagon load, which I met descending a 
steep hill ; thus I travelled on about a hundred 
miles, without a cent of money in my pocket ; 
one man told me I was a blasphemer, and 
ought to be put in jail and kept there, because 
I said, " 1 knew that God for Christ's^sake 
had forgiven me my sins." 

On the 3d of July, I got down into Beek- 
mantown, and it appeared to me that angels 
accompanied me during all my journey : I 
found my wife on Saturday ; the next day I 
went to meeting to S. B\s I prayed and ex- 
horted, and had a good time. U. F. was there, 
and when he got home he told the people that 
James Horton was at meeting and prayed and 
exhorted ; his old aunt S. C. said, " What, 
that old drunken Jim Horton that used to be 
in jail? that surely cannot be;" he told her 
that I would be there again next Sabbath, and 
that she must go and see and hear for herself, 
The next Sabbath she came, and after meet- 
ing she told brother F. it was not the same 
man, for Jim Horton was a drunken, homely 
man ; but this one was a very good looking 
man ; after meeting, I went to see three of my 
brothers. I began to exhort them, and they 
laughed at me, so I thought I would try what 
prayer would do, and I fell upon my knees — 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



my soul was so happy in God, that it was 
some time before I could pray ; when I rose 
from my knees the spirit of laughter had left 
them, and they were serious — that night my 
youngest brother was powerfully awakened, 
and on Wednesday afternoon he experienced 
religion. 

I now got my wife and children together — 
moved into a little log house, and went to 
work at my trade ; here I was very h ppy. I 
held meetings around the country, and God 
awakened and converted sinners. 

One day I left home to go eastward, in 
search of a more comfortable house ; I was 
powerfully impressed that it was my duty to 
go over the river, and believing that God had 
work for me to do there, I started that way : 
I had fourteen miles to go, and it was late, and 
fearing I should not be in season to cross th 1 
ferry, I ran part of the way and came to the 
river about dusk, and just in time to get on 
board the boat. When I got across the river, 
I inquired if there would be meeting that even- 
ing in the neighbourhood, and was told there 
was to be one at A.'s, about a mile up the hill ; 
I hastened to the place and found a room full 
of people. I began to sing, and after singing, 
kneeled down and prayed; the power of the 
Lord was displayed among the people, and sin- 
ners began to cry for mercy ; I went to one 
young woman and directed her to look to 
Jesus — she fell upon her knees — we prayed 
with her, and the Lord blessed her soul, and 



« 



A NARRATIVE OF 



she shouted aloud. I went to another and pray- 
ed with her, and she was soon brought into* 
liberty — and thus in a short time five were 
converted. At this time, Elijah Woolsey 
came in — I had neyer seen him before, he 
was pleased with the meeting. A meeting 
was appointed for the next evening at brother 
D.'s. The yo-ung woman first converted, I went 
to her brother's house praising the Lord, and 
telling them what good things God had done 
for her ; her brother, who had gone to bed,, 
sprang up, dressed hastily, and ran over to 
his father's, and told the family that his sister 
had been to Methodist meeting, and the 
Methodists had bewitched her ; they sent the 
wagon and horses after her, and would not 
suffer her to attend our next meeting ; at this 
meeting we had a great time ; an old Quaker 
woman and her daughter experienced religion ; 
two young men started to go to a ball — the 
Lord met them on the way — they turned 
about and came to the meeting, aad were 
both converted ; at this meeting, eight ex- 
perienced a change of heart ; after meeting, 
while sitting by the fire* I felt it impressed 
on my mind that I must go and deliver a mes- 
sage from the Lord to the parents of the young 
woman who, since her conversion, had been 
kept away from our meetings ; accordingly, 
in the morning, I proceeded to the house, 
about a mile from where I put up. When I 
came to the door, the old lady was sweeping, 
she ordered me away : as I did not readily 



-JAMES P. HORTON. 



35 



obey, she raised her broomstick, called me 
many hard names, and threatened to beat out 
my brains with her broom if I attempted fro 
come in, and declared that we had ruined her 
daughter ; I told her I had a message from 
<3rod to deliver, and kept stepping forward till 
I got into the house, the old lady all the time 
threatening and calling hard names 5 and 
when all would not do, she said she would go 
and call her husband ; I told her that was 
right, for I had a message for the old gentle- 
man too, so away sbe ran-; while she was 
gone, I conversed with the young woman, 
and found she was happy in religion, and de- 
termined to persevere in the good way ; pre- 
sently the old lady returned, bringing with 
her her husband and four other men ; I stood 
my ground in the middle of the floor ; the 
old gentleman ordered me out, but I kept on 
talking", presently the men took chairs and 
sat down, the old lady's patience was all gone, 
and she complained that her husband did not 
put me out of the house, calling me hard 
names ; the old gentleman told her fro be si- 
lent and let me alone, saying at the same time 
that what I said was all very well, and he 
liked to hear it Then! had fair sailing; when 
I finished speaking, I prayed with them; af- 
ter prayer- the old gentleman gave me a pipe 
of tobacco, and I sat down and had a peace- 
able smoke ; after I had left them, and got a 
quarter of a mile on my way, they sent after 
me to know where I was to hold meeting, 



36 



A NARRATIVE OF 



and being informed, a wagon load of them 
came that evening ; the meeting was held at 
brothei M.'s, near the river ; more people 
came than could get into the house ; I com- 
menced meeting, and had not spoken a great 
while before a man who stood in the door 
cried out, " Why don't you talk to some of the 
rest, and not talk ail the time to me?" I said 
to him, 44 1 did not know you were there, but* 
if the coat suits you put it on, and wear it and 
be thankful ; and now 1 will try to fit some 
of the rest." I had a good season.- The next 
day I started for home ; met P. G* and his 
wife in a chaise. I exhorted them to seek the 
Lord ; came to the house of my brother-in- 
law W. B. in the night; his wife ordered me 
out of ttoe house ; a family in another part of 
the house kindly entertained me ; I had prayer 
with them, and prayed for the woman in 
the other room ; afterward, this woman de- 
sired me to hold meeting in her room ; I did 
so ; and both she and her husband experienced 
religion and joined the society. I attended 
another meeting at the house of M. S., and 
he and his wife were converted. I had ano- 
ther appointment there for Friday night. On 
Friday morning, I was informed of a scanda- 
lous report in circulation about me ; I knew 
it was false, yet it troubled me sorely; I be- 
gan to fear my usefulness was at an end, and 
I was tempted not to go to my appointment ; 
I had to go to Mr. B/s, to do some work ; 
when I got there, he was from home ; I felt 



SAMES P. HORTON. 



27 



^exy unhappy, and sat down by the fire weep- 
ing and mourning, I was led to look into 
the Bible, and read part of the 15th chapter of 
Jeremiah ; at the 15th verse, my soul was 
comforted - ; I was sure the Lord had directed 
me to this part of his holy word ; I dried up 
my tears, and with a happy soul I went leap- 
ing over the hills and mountains to my ap- 
pointment. I had a wonderfully good season ; 
and from that day to this, the mouths of all 
my enemies were shut against me. 

The next spring, S. moved up to High 
Barney Mills, in Dutchess county ; he was 
taken ill with the consumption and sent for me 
to come up and hold meeting at his house ; I 
went and had a good time ; I left another ap- 
pointment and returned home ; the distance 
was about 14 miles. On Sabbath morning I 
started on foot, and went crying along the 
road ; the Lord had blessed my labours, and 
I believed he would do great things for us 
that day, and I was troubled with a fear 
lest I should grow proud of my success, but 
the desire of my heart was to sink down 
into the depths of humility. When I got to 
my appointment, the people were collected ; 
I commenced meeting, and theLoid was with 
us of a truth — about fifteen were awakened. 
I then started for squire C.'s ; he was an old 
Methodist; I went on my way weeping, the 
devil telling me that my mouth would be 
shut; I knew that I was a poor illiterate 
creature, and I had my fears about stand- 
4 



38 



A NARRATIVE OF 



ing up before the old squire. When I got 
there, a large roomful of people had as- 
sembled, and the squire sat before me ; I 
gave out my hymn and prayed : I arose from 
my knees and went to work in the name of 
the Lord ; my soul was filled with peace, and I 
had a good time. There were at the meeting 
two young ladies from New York ; and while 
I was exercising, my soul was so happy and 
so full of the love of God, that it seemed to 
me my whole body streamed in a blaze of 
light and glory. I returned home happy, and 
went to w r ork making and mending boots and 
shoes ; I kept close at it for two weeks : on 
Saturday afternoon I went to Smith's, and 
on the way I called at G.'s, at whose re- 
quest I left an appointment at his house for 
Sabbath evening ; after filling my other ap- 
pointment on Sabbath, I returned to G.'s ; 
there was a large roomful of people present, 
and a number of Quakers came out to hear me ; 
they thought it very strange that a man as 
w T icked as I had been should experience re- 
ligion, and go to preaching as suddenly as I 
had ; I took my stand in the south-west cor- 
ner of the room, sung, prayed, and a passage 
of Scripture came to mind which I took for 
my text; and the Lord gave me liberty. In 
the course of my remarks, I was led to trace 
the character of a wicked young man, and de- 
scribed his conduct to his parents in such a 
manner that the people rixed the description 
upon one who was present ; I did not know 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



39 



there was such a one in the neighbourhood 
but my mind was impressed in a peculiar man 
ner to speak as I did, and solemnly to warn 
such a one to prepare to meet his God ; at first, 
I hesitated, as there were some young men 
behaving improperly ; I thought they might 
suppose I wanted to expose them ; but the im- 
pression returned with such force that I was 
constrained to speak out ; and I warned such 
a person that if he did not repent speedily, 
some awful judgment would fall upon him, 
and he would be hurried into eternity to an- 
swer for the deeds done in the body. I closed 
my meeting, and appointed one for the next 
Sabbath at a house a short distance off, and 
more convenient for meeting ; I attended this 
meeting, and had another appointment at three 
o'clock at the house of J. B., whose wife was 
sick ; after the first meeting, a young woman 
came to me and begged me not to go to my 
afternoon's appointment, as the young men 
who were at the meeting the Sabbath evening 
before had resolved to waylay me, and tie 
me to a tree and whip me all but to death; 1 
told her I should go to the appointment if the 
Lord spared my life ; and I felt assured that 
He who preserved Daniel in the lion's den, 
and the Hebrew children in the fiery furnace, 
would go with me and defend me. I went on 
leaping through the woods, not fearing my 
enemies, and reached my appointment in 
safety; soon after I arrived, a young woman 
came in, and taking her seat by me, asked me 



40 



A NARRATIVE OT 



if I had heard how fearfully my words ut- 
tered last Sabbath evening had come to pass. 
I told her I had not 5 she then informed me 
that the young man to whom the people ap- 
plied my warning was killed the night before, 
and his wicked young companions were in- 
vited to his funeral this morning ; the Qua- 
kers who were present at the meeting said, 
" James is a true prophet ;' ? I returned home 
and worked at my trade that week. The 
next Sabbath, I went up to Smith's, and found 
a number that were awakened when I was 
there last, now happy in the Lord ; here I re- 
mained a week, and a number more experi- 
enced religion. A quarterly meeting was to 
be held at Amenia, where there had never 
been one before ; I was urged by the friends 
to go up with them ; so I went in a wagon 
with J. P. 7 s children. Father Garrettson was 
presiding elder ; the meeting was held in a 
Baptist church, near T. J.'s. Father Garrett- 
son preached wonderfully good on Saturday, 
and the Lord blessed me ; I had to hold in 
with all my might to keep from shouting 
aloud ; but in spite of my efforts some leaked 
out ; as soon as meeting was ended, I ran out 
of the door and across the field, and gave vent 
to my feelings. I was afterward told that 
some of the folks said that if that was religion r 
they did not want it. We had a good love- 
feast on Sunday morning ; I spent the night 
at P. P.'s ; the next morning F. P/s wife 
came to the house ; her cap was so trimmed 



JAMES P. H0RT0N. 



41 



off with ribands, that I took occasion to speak 
to her about the salvation of her soul 5 she 
was very angry, as she afterward told me ; 
though at the time she concealed it ; the next 
day I visited the house and took dinner with 
the family and prayed with them ; on leaving, I 
shook hands with her and her husband, and 
told them I pitied them, and should pray for 
them ; they were deists. 

The next quarterly meeting was at Rhine- 
beck, in Father Garrettson's church ; I went 
to it, I had no sooner got off my horse, and 
hitched him, than I saw a man and woman 
running toward me; these were F. P. and 
his wife : they were both happy in the Lord. 
They then told me how they once hated me, 
but now they loved me. At night we had a 
prayer-meeting in the meeting-house; after 
two of the brethren had prayed, I went for- 
ward to the chair and prayed ; before I had 
time to rise, a brother stepped between me 
and the chair, and I was cut off from exhort- 
ing. After meeting closed I got upon the 
door sill, and seeing a great many people, 
my heart was drawn out in love to them, and 
I thought I would speak a little to them in a 
loving and moderate way. I opened my 
mouth, spoke a few words, and it seemed as 
if heaven had come down into my soul ; and 
instead of being moderate, as I intended to 
be, my voice seemed like thunder ; I went to 
my lodgings, shouting the praises of God. 
The next morning some of the members re- 
4* 



42 



A NARRATIVE OF 



proved me for shouting, and I exhorted them 
to get more religion. 

On the Sabbath Bishop Asbury preached in 
the orchard, from Matthew ix, 27, " Thou 
son of David, have mercy on us," and the 
Lord was in the midst of the people : I re- 
turned home from the meeting happy in the 
Lord. 

Soon after this I started for White Plains, 
on business. On my way the Lord was with 
me, and blessed me in such a manner that 
I could hardly sit on my horse ; I got out of 
the way, and fell in with D. W., a local 
preacher, who directed me to his house, 
where I took breakfast ; this was in North- 
castle. I then went on to uncle J. ? s, and 
found they had gone to the house of uncle C. 
H. to attend a funeral. I left my horse and 
went over on foot; here I met with A. M., 
and R. and A. D. I inquired of them 
if they were going to have a meeting, and 
found that uncle C. H. objected to it. I took 
him aside and told him we must have a 
meeting ; he at last consented, but charged us 
to be moderate, he was a churchman. We held 
meeting, and had a precious season ; the next 
night we had a prayer-meeting at R. 3L's ; I 
told my experience, and I was overpowered 
by the presence of the Lord three times before 
I got through. 

On my return home I called on D. W. ; he 
prevailed on me to stay over the Sabbath, and 
accompany him to Bedford Purchase, where 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



43 



he had an appointment ; he preached and I 
followed with an exhortation ; the power of 
the Lord came down upon us, sinners wept 
and trembled, and some ran out of the house ; 
one young woman cried aloud as she went 
out ; I prevailed on her to come back ; she 
experienced religion. This meeting was held 
at old sister H.'s. I left an appointment for 
Tuesday night at the house of sister C. S. ; 
in the afternoon we had meeting at sister O.'s. 
On Monday night, while thinking about my 
appointment for the next night, I concluded 
there would be many people out to hear, and 
it was time for me to find a passage of Scrip- 
ture to speak from, that I might meditate up- 
on it, and get ready for my work ; but I soon 
gave it up, believing that the Lord would 
give me something for the people in due time ; 
toward night on Tuesday, I started for my 
appointment, and got there a little before sun- 
down, turned my horse into the meadow, en- 
tered the house, and went directly into a little 
room and prayed ; when I arose from my 
knees, the power of the Lord came upon me, 
and for an hour it appeared to me that I did 
not breathe any more than if I was dead; I 
could not stir a joint, but was as happy as 
I could well be in body. I could hear the 
people gathering together, but I concluded I 
should not be able to speak to them ; but 
my bodily strength was restored to me, and 
I got up, threw off my coat and vest, and 
shoes, and commenced ; two rooms were filled 



44 



A NARRATIVE Ot 



with the people, and there were backsliders 
all around me ; the Scriptures were unfolded 
to me in a wonderful manner ; all I had to do 
was to open my mouth, and the Lord filled it 
with words that went to the heart. Backsli- 
ders fell, and the house was filled with groans 
and cries for mercy ; the people informed me 
afterward that I went around the rooms, but I 
was not conscious of doing so. The people 
went home astonished at what they heard 
and saw ; brother John Wilson was on that 
circuit at the time. 

The following morning, before light, I 
mounted my horse and started for home ; 
when I got home I went to work at my trade, 
and continued at it about six weeks ; at the ex- 
piration of this time, I arose one morning, 
with my mind much exercised ; I went into 
the field in much distress, I walked, and my 
exercise of mind increased until I began to 
run ; and coming to a low spot of fence, I 
threw myself across it, and prayed that God 
would show me his will, and direct me in the 
right way ; I felt it impressed on my mind 
that I must go back to Bedford Purchase ; 
and when I determined to go, I felt happy. 
I now thought if I could procure a cow I could 
leave my family in more comfortable circum- 
stances, but I knew not how to accomplish it. 
I did not like to call on the brethren for one, 
and I was too poor to raise the money neces- 
sary to buy one : I at length went to J. F.'s 
and told him what I wanted, and what my cir- 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



45 



cumstances were ; he generously told me I 
should have a cow to take home with me, 
and if I was ever able, I might pay for it, and 
if not, I was welcome to it. I then went to 
S. TVs, and as my clothes were very poor, he 
trusted me for some cloth; and I returned 
and got my cow and drove her home. As soon 
as I got my clothes made, I started on foot for 
Bedford Purchase ; when I got there I found 
Father Abbott's Journal, which proved a great 
help to me. I appointed a meeting at old 
brother G.'s ; the friends said they must tie 
me up with a pair of leading lines to prevent 
my going through the congregation, as I did 
when there before ; I told them I would leave 
that business with my Master ; I continued 
holding meetings every night, and sometimes 
in the day, between three and four weeks, 
and the Lord was with me, souls were awak- 
ened and converted, and backsliders reclaim- 
ed. 

Among the number reclaimed was T. W. 
He had experienced religion a number of years 
before, and felt that he was called to preach the 
gospel, but he had held back on the plea that 
he must first clear his little place of debt ; when 
this was done, and his impressions were re- 
newed, he wanted a little more land first, and 
when he had got the land and paid for it, then 
his house wanted rebuilding ; and when he 
had got all this done, then he could not leave 
his comfortable home. At length the Lord 
withdrew his Spirit from him, and he became 



46 



A NARRATIVE OF 



incapable of enjoying, or even taking care of 
his place ; a part of the time he ran wild in the 
woods ; after some years he became rational, 
and attended meeting ; and at the meeting at 
sister C. S.'s he and J. H., and his brother, 
were reclaimed ; but poor T. W., although 
once very gifted in prayer, had lost his gifts 
beyond recovery. 

Among those that experienced religion, at 
this time, was E. M.; he was a deist, yet he 
attended my appointments, and the Spirit of 
the Lord took hold of him, and he was 
soundly converted ; he afterward told me 
that he had been at a great many meetings, 
but was not much afflicted by them, until he 
heard me speak ; as soon as I began, he was 
seized with trembling, and could not shake 
it off. At this time W. H.'s son was power- 
fully awakened he took to his bed and lay 
there some days ; his father was so enraged 
at me on account of it, that he swore he 
would beat out my brains with his axe ; of 
this I was not informed till some time after. 
I was one day passing his house, and conclud- 
ed to call ; as I went toward the door, I per- 
ceived he had been digging a well in a rock. 
I said to him, "Why, my deal, you have had 
a hard job of it, in digging a well through a 
solid rock." He said it was so, but he had 
come to a vein of good water ; I told him 
then that he ought to be thankful to the good 
Lord, who had caused that beautiful stream to 
run through the rock. He invited me in, 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



47 



and I sung and prayed with them. His son 
then lay in the bed ; the Lord was with us. 
He then, to relieve me from walking all 
around the country to my appointments, offer- 
ed me the use of a young horse. I thanked 
him, but declined his offer, telling him that I 
found it more convenient to be on foot, for I 
could visit all the houses I saw from the road, 
without the trouble of letting down bars, and 
opening gates ; a few days after this his son 
experienced religion, and it was not long be- 
fore he himself, and one or two of his daugh- 
ters were converted. 

After this I held a meeting at the house of 
brother H. near Croton, and as I was speak- 
ing from these words, " Let your light so shine 
before men, that they may see your good 
works, and glorify your Father which is in 
heaven," a couple of stout men entered the 
room, and one of them came up to me and 
put his fist in my face, calling me a liar, and 
bidding me hold my tongue; I requested him 
to take a seat, the people rose up to seize 
him and put him out. I begged them to let 
him alone, assuring them that he could not 
disturb me; my soul was full of glory and of 
God ; and without premeditation on my part, 
I was led to say something to this w'cked 
man that looked somewhat like a prophecy ; 
a school master from Cherry street in the 
town of Bedford, who was a bold deist, was 
present, and noted down what I said, declar- 
ing that if it came to pass upon the man he 



48 



A NARRATIVE OF 



would believe m revelation. It did come 
to pass in a few days ; but the deist remained 
an infidel. The next night I had a meeting at 
the house of sister C. S., which was my last 
meeting in the place, and a glorious meeting 
it was. 

I went home with K., who, with his wife, 
had lately experienced religion. T. S. was 
there. K.'s wife was the adopted daughter of 
T. S., who had been an opposer of the Me- 
thodists, but was awakened. In the morning 
after breakfast and a parting prayer with the 
family, I started for home, stopping at the 
house of W. S. Just as I was kneeling for 
prayer, T. S. came in ; I stopped at several 
houses, and T. S. followed me, and had a 
mind to talk all the way home with me, which 
was between 40 and 50 miles. I dissuaded 
him from the undertaking, telling him that 
God was everywhere present; after exhort- 
ing him to persevere in seeking the salvation 
of his soul, and promising to pray for him, we 
parted : he soon after found the pearl of great 
price. I have been with him since at camp- 
meeting, and found him engaged in religion ; 
in 1836 he died in the triumphs of faith. 

I reached home in safety, and found my 
wife and children all well. I went to work 
at my trade, and got something together for 
my family to live on ; I then started on foot 
for White Plains to visit my friends. On my 
way stopped at Bedford Purchase, and held 
meeting at sister C. S.'s ; after meeting I 



JAMES P. H0RT0N. 



was informed that G. H., the person who at- 
tempted to interrupt me while speaking at a 
meeting at brother H.'s, was deranged, and 
had attempted to drown himself in Croton 
river ; he was, however, prevented, and was 
now confined; I told them I believed he was 
under conviction for sin, and I should visit 
him ; they attempted to dissuade me, but I 
was resolved to go, and accordingly went ; 
they would neither go with me, nor show me 
the way. I found the house, and told the 
woman who came to the door what my busi- 
ness was ; she showed me the room where he 
was confined. I looked in at the hole in the 
door ; he no sooner saw me than he began to 
weep and beg my pardon for his conduct. I 
told him I had nothing in my heart toward 
him but love, and that he must look to God 
for pardon, for it was against him he had sin- 
ned ; he was anxious to come out, so I went 
to his brother and asked him to liberate him ; 
he was afraid to comply with my request ; I 
told him what I thought ailed him, and he 
accompanied me to the room, and finding that 
he was rational, let him out. I took him into 
a room, and read several chapters in the Bi- 
ble, which I thought most suitable to his case : 
he sat and wept. I then sung a hymn, and he 
sung with me; we then kneeled down toge- 
ther, and prayed ; I had great liberty in pray- 
ing for him; we then parted. Not long after, 
he experienced religion, became very pious, 
and joined the Presbyterian Church. After 
5 



i 



50 



A NARRATIVE OF 



being a member some years, his head got puz- 
zled with the doctrines of unconditional elec- 
tion and reprobation, he lost his reason, and 
hanged himself. 

I went to White Plains, visited my friends, 
and proceeded to North Castle, held meeting 
at the house of widow S., and had a good 
season. The next Monday I started again, 
called in at a house, and exhorted, a woman 
and a girl, and prayed with them ; they were 
both awakened. When the man of the house 
came home he was exceedingly mad against 
me, and threatened my life if I came to his 
house again. I went to young R. M.'s, and 
held meeting at his house near the church 
in North Castle, King-street ; held meeting 
also at the house of J. L.'s father. Brother 
M. and myself held a meeting at the house of 
brother J. H. ; after I had exhorted some 
time, a man in the congregation said, " Sit 
down, you have spoken enough so I sat 
down, and brother M. got up and exhorted. 
He had not talked long before D. W. jumped 
up in the congregation and said to him, " You 
are enough to scare the devil," and out of 
the house he ran, and started for home in 
great haste, leaving his wife at the meeting ; 
he ran all the way, fearing every step that 
the devil would take him off bodily; when he 
got home he burst open the door, and find- 
ing no one in the house, his alarm increased, 
nor did he find relief till he experienced reli- 
gion. 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



51 



After this, I had meeting at the house of 
J. F. in a large hall. I spoke from these 
words : 44 There is, therefore, now no con- 
demnation for them which are in Christ Jesus, 
&c." While speaking, a tall slender man 
came in, followed by a large man ; the tall 
man came up to me, shook his loaded whip 
over my head, and ordered me to hold my 
tongue ; I fell upon my knees and prayed for 
him ; the brethren all the while fearing from 
his actions that he would strike me ; when I 
rose from my knees, he took my chair, sat down 
by me, and paid great attention to what I 
said ; after I closed the meeting, he told me 
to go on, for he believed God had called me 
to the work ; the two men went home after 
the meeting, and the large man was so power- 
fully wrought upon by the Spirit of God, that 
he alarmed the neighbourhood with |his cries 
for mercy ; after a while, B., the tall man, who 
threatened me with his whip, was brought 
upon his death-bed ; his father-in-law informed 
me, that his screeches were terrifying ; his 
impression was, that the devil was before him, 
and about to take him off bodily ; some of the 
Methodists visited him, and exhorted him to 
look to Jesus, and prayed with him ; he pro- 
fessed after a time to find pardon, and it was 
believed that he died in peace. 

I had meeting on the Sabbath at the house 
of brother B.'s father; I spoke from these 
words : " The Master is come, and calleth for 
thee," &c. ; the good Lord was with us ; at 



52 



A NARRATIVE OF 



times I was so filled with the presence and 
blessing of the Loid, that I could with diffi- 
culty speak, and the congregation were deeply 
affected — brother B. afterward became a 
travelling preacher ; at night, held meeting 
at the house of brother J. H. — had a glorious 
season : I was so happy after meeting, that 
sleep departed from me. It appeared to me 
that I could hear the angels around me sing- 
ing the praises of God — heaven seemed to be 
open in all its immortal beauty before me ; 
and the Scriptures, like a sea of glory, were 
spread out before me ; this very happy frame 
of mind continued for ten weeks and three 
days ; and in all that time it appeared to me 
that I did not sleep six nights : I was at one 
time fearful that the loss of sleep, and con- 
stant heavenly ecstasy, would destroy my 
health — but I was never in better health ; and 
during this time I travelled through a great 
portion of Westchester county ; I fell in com- 
pany with J. C, one of the travelling preach- 
ers, and went with him to his appointments ; 
and gracious and glorious times we had. Bro- 
ther C. had an appointment at the house of 
brother B., about a mile out of Tarrytown, in 
the evening; at this time, I was frequently 
called by the people crazy Horton ; brother 
M., hearing that I was with brother C, came 
up in the afternoon to arrange matters and 
things ; so he planned it that C. should preach, 
then he would exhort, and crazy Horton might 
conclude with prayer. The people assembled ; 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



53 



and brother C. took for his text, Psalm cxlvi, 
8, " The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind ; 
the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down : 
the Lord loveth the righteous." Brother M. 
and myself sat behind him in a small room ; 
when brother C. had got about half through, 
brother M. told me that as soon as he finished 
I must get up and exhort : I began to pray — - 
and as soon as brother C. had finished, I was 
ready for the work ; I began, and the power 
of the Lord came down upon us. Brothers 
M. and C. began to shout and clap their hands, 
and the people in the room were on the wing ; 
some ran out of the house ; I had to moderate, 
and beg the people to come back, assuring 
them that I would not hurt them, that I felt 
nothing but love for them ; some returned, 
and others went home. Brother M. closed 
with prayer. 

The next day we went down to Tarrytown, 
intending to hold meeting there, but could get 
no place ; the people seemed afraid of us; we 
went to Philip's mill, where we had a precious 
meeting that evening ; went home with a 
brother, and in family prayer, a young lady 
from New-York who was there cried aloud 
for mercy, and found the " pearl of great 
price the next day we dined with a brother 
East, of Kingsbridge, and from thence I went 
to New-York, and put up with J. C. The 
next day I accompanied sister C. to the house 
of brother J., near the Duane-street church ; 
after we had been there awhile, the friends 
5* 



54 



A NARRATIVE OF 



came pouring in, and they would have me 
sing for them ; we had a comfortable time. 
This was my first visit to New-York since I 
experienced religion. When we sat down to 
tea I felt rather awkward ; and in endeavouring 
to be a little polite after the city custom, I 
unfortunately upset my cup of tea ; I apolo- 
gized as well as I could, telling the fiiends I 
was brought up in the woods, and their way 
of taking tea was rather left-handed work to 
me ; so they kindly permitted me to step into 
my old track, and I got along pretty well af- 
ter that, I visited the poor-house in the city* 
In the upper room I found the most distressed 
objects that I ever met with ; I began to exhort 
them, and they laughed in my face ; so I 
kneeled down and prayed for them ; when I 
finished, I found most of them were in tears ; 
then I exhorted them again, and shook hands 
with them ; there was one young man who 
had lost both hands and both feet — he had 
been shipwrecked ; when I came to him, he 
caught my hand between his stumps and kiss- 
ed it, and begged me to come again. 

From New-York I returned to White Plains, 
and visited my friends ; while there, brother 
R. M., and some other brethren, raised among' 
them forty dollars, and bought a young horse 
for 1 me, and furnished me with a saddle and 
bridle, and I started home well mounted. The 
people had been so kind, and the Lord so 
good to me, that I went on my way weeping. I 
fell in company with brother C, and went 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



55 



with him to his appointment at North Salem ; 
here the friends gave me a little money. We 
next proceeded to brother O.'s, near the big" 
pond ; there we had a great time — the house 
was large, and they moved their beds and fur- 
niture into the garret to make room for the 
people, some of whom came twelve and others 
fifteen miles to the meeting; after the public 
meeting, I usually went with the young con- 
verts to the house of brother G. and had prayer- 
meeting — kept up these meetings every 
night for two weeks. I then started for home ; 
on my way I began to think, what shall I do 
with my horse when I get there ? I have no 
stable and no hay nor oats, and I was almost 
tempted to ride back and leave it with those 
who gave it to me. I wept that I was obliged 
to leave the work. When I got above Putnam 
Corner, night overtook me ; I came to a house 
near the road, and finding an old man unload- 
ing a wagon, I asked for accommodations for 
the night; after consulting his wife, he con- 
sented ; upon turning my horse in the meadow, 
I went in and sat by the fire while the old lady 
prepared supper ; after supper, I asked the 
old man if ever he had experienced religion ; 
he said, No. I began to exhort him to seek 
the Lord immediately; he at once unfurled the 
flag of election and reprobation, and made 
battle on me : I drew my old Jerusalem sword, 
well tempered in heavenly love, and wielded 
it for the defence of my Master's cause ; while 
we were engaged in combat, a brother of the 



5G 



A NARRATIVE Of 



old man came in, and hearingwhat we were at, 
heartily joined against me, and Iliad to stand 
my ground against them both ; I at length told 
them we must have prayer ; so I sunu- a few 
verses and prayed, and when I finished, I found 
the brother was weeping bitterly ; we renewed 
the conversation, and the brother fell in with 
my views, and aided me in my attack on the 
old man's strong hold ; we kept at it till about 
10 o'clock, when several more came in, and I 
exhorted them and prayed with them; when I 
rose from my knees, I saw my congregation 
had increased, and they kept coming in; I 
knew not what to make of it, until I found out 
there was a "husking bee," and while I was 
singing and praying, the men heard me and 
came in to see what w r as the matter ; at about 
2 o'clock, the brother whose heart was touch- 
ed insisted on my going home with him ; 
I consented at last, — having satisfied the old 
man that I did not leave him through any dis- 
respect to him ; we did not reach his house 
until daylight, though it was but a mile off; 
his heart was tendered — he had buried his 
wife a few days before — and we stopped fre- 
quently on the road, while I exhorted him to 
look to the Lord ; when we got into the house 
I began to sing, and his children soon came 
flocking into the room to see what was the 
matter; after singing, I prayed w r ith them, 
and they wept much ; after breakfast, the man 
pressed me to <ro with him to see a brother of 
his, who was eighty years of age, and a rigid 



JAMES F. HORTON. 



57 



predestinarian ; so I went — and when I was 
introduced to the old man, I asked him if he 
had experienced religion ; he said, No. I asked 
him why he had not ; he replied that God's 
time had not come yet ; I told him that God's 
time would soon come with him, and that if 
he did not repent and get his soul washed in 
the atoning blood, he would be lost to all 
eternity ; I warned him against his sentiments, 
that were so dishonouring to the God of love, 
who had sworn by himself that he had no 
pleasure in the death of the wicked ; the old 
man quickly rose up from his chair ; I aimed 
my discourse at his heart, and his quivering 
chin and falling tears told that the word of 
exhortation had taken hold of him ; I sung 
and prayed with him. They urged me to stay 
and hold meeting with them, but I had been 
absent already from my family ten weeks and 
three days, and I felt it my duty to return 
home. After this, the brother who had lost 
his wife removed to the west, and a number 
of years afterward I met with a son and 
daughter of his at a camp-meeting ; they were 
both happy in religion, and informed me that 
their father was on his way to heaven. 

I got home in safety that night, and found 
my family all well ; I went to work at my 
trade. My nearest neighbours were Baptists, 
and very high Calvinists; they advanced 
doctrines that to me seemed very strange and 
inconsistent; among other things, they de- 
clared that David was as much the favourite 



58 



A NARRATIVE OF 



child of God when he robbed Uriah of his 
wife and caused him to be put to death, as at 
any other period of his life. These things 
troubled my mind much, and I began to think 
that none who held such doctrines could be 
Christians ; and being told that this was the 
belief of all Calvinists, I concluded no Calvinist 
could be a Christian. I was relieved from 
my trouble on this subject by a dream, in 
which I was made to understand that passage 
in the Acts, where Peter says, 44 Of a truth I 
perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 
but in every nation he that feareth him, and 
worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." 
I could not believe their doctrine, for I thought 
some of it was contrary to the Holy Scriptures ; 
but I did believe, if they loved the Lord, and 
worked righteousness, they were good Chris- 
tians ; and if faithful until death, they would be 
accepted with God. 

Up to this time I had been an exhorter, 
though I had often taken a passage of Scrip- 
ture from which to exhort ; I now began to 
feel it my duty to preach the gospel, and the 
impression daily grew stronger. When sit- 
ting at my work, it would come upon me, and 
almost overpower me. I was afraid to think 
it was from the Lord, for I knew I was very 
ignorant of many things that a preacher of the 
gospel ought to know; and I was afraid to 
think it was from the devil, lest I should 
grieve the Spirit of the Lord ; until now my 
peace had been like a river; ever since my 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



conversion I had been happy ; now I began 
to be sorely troubled. One day I was at the 
house of J. W., whose wife was a good old 
Quakeress; she brought me the 44 Saints' 
Rest," and said, ''There, James, if thee will 
bottom these cloth shoes, the book shall be 
thine." I agreed to do it; I took my book 
ancl started for home; it was night — on my 
way I calledin at brother D.'s : they were all 
in bed; I sat down by the fire and lighted a 
candle, and read in my new book till about 
one o'clock. I then started again for home ; 
in getting over a fence, I had such a deep 
impression of the sufferings of Christ for sin- 
ners, that I was melted into tears, and felt as 
if I ought to be willing to labour and suffer 
too for precious souls; when I reached home, 
the day began to break ; I lay down and wept 
till sun-rise ; I then hastened out into the 
woods, and fell upon my knees ; there the 
Lord met with me and blessed me ; it appear- 
ed as if the trees bowed with me before the 
Lord, and every leaf and every twig shone 
in beauty to his praise. Here I resolved that 
I would lay my case before the church ; I 
did so, and the time was appointed for me to 
preach a sermon, that the brethren might 
hear and judge. Quarterly meeting came on, 
and my case was brought up ; I could hardly 
think I should pass, but the brethren recom- 
mended me to the quarterly conference; 
there I thought it probable that the business 
would end, but I comforted myself with 



60 



A NARRATIVE OF 



having done my duty, and I felt that I could go 
on and exhort as I had done, if the church 
decided it was best that I should ; in quarter- 
ly conference brother Moriarty called me up, 
and examined me ; I retired after passing my 
examination ; and the brethren voted in fa- 
vour of my application. The next morning 
brother W. Jewett and myself received our 
licences. 

I now had new trials ; before, I was an ex- 
horter, now it was known that I was a li- 
censed preacher. When meditating at home 
the Scriptures would open to my mind in all 
their heavenly beauty, but when I thought of 
preaching, my mind would sink down ; but 
the Lord encouraged me, and sometimes by 
dreams my heart was greatly strengthened to 
go on in the blessed work ; and my poor la- 
bours were crowned with some success. I 
have been enabled by the grace of God to 
hold on thus far, and my soul has often rejoiced 
at seeing sinners brought to taste of par- 
doning mercy. 

About this time, while my mind was exer- 
cised on this subject, I had a remarkable 
dream. I thought I was somewhere in the 
state of Connecticut, and there I saw a beau- 
tiful church, standing upon a rising ground ; 
it was built of the most beautiful and costly 
stone that my eyes ever beheld : it appeared 
so exceedingly beautiful outside I had a great 
curiosity to see how it looked inside, so I 
went to it; as I stepped my foot upon the 



JAMES P» H0RTON. 61 

door sill, the Lord Jesus Christ stood before 
me, and told me to follow him ; and with 
that he turned to the right hand, and there 
he showed me a great pile of boots and shoes ; 
he then said, These are intended for the preach- 
ers of the gospel, and he told me to put on a 
pair of them ; so I tried, and tried, but I 
could find none to fit me ; at last I found one 
boot that I made out to squeeze on, but it 
pinched pretty hard, — that he said was for 
me, and while I was putting it on, I looked 
up and saw the house was full of people, and 
then it was impressed on my mind that the 
preacher who was to preach had not come, 
and I concluded that they would expect me 
to preach, so I thought I would get out of 
the way; then the Lord Jesus spoke to me 
and said, These people have come here expect- 
ing to hear the everlasting gospel preached, 
and a dispensation of the gospel is committed 
unto you, and wo unto you if you preach 
not the gospel unto them ; so I stepped along 
with my one boot on ; I got upon one end of 
a bench, gave out a hymn, sung and prayed, 
and took my text and began to preach, I had 
no sooner begun than my soul was filled with 
the Holy Ghost and the powers of the world 
to come, and the people looked like little an- 
gels to my view ; the power of God fell on 
them in a most wonderful manner; some 
fell, some shouted glory, and I had such 
liberty in speaking and such a flow of words 
as I never had before or since. I had only to 
6 



62 



A NARRATIVE OF 



open my mouth, and they poured out in 
streams of love and fire, that melted down all 
before them; and in the midst of my preach- 
ing I was so full of love and my soul was so 
happy that I shouted aloud in my sleep, so 
that I awoke my family and myself too ; after 
I was awake I reflected on this dream. I con- 
cluded that as I had been able to get but one 
boot on, out of the great heap, and that with 
tight squeezing, that I must only be a local 
preacher; and so I have been hobbling about 
ever since with my one preacher-boot on, (and 
that has sometimes pinched pretty hard,) 
trying to exhort and preach and pray, — 
trying to be instrumental in plucking some 
poor sinners as brands from the burning; 
and, glory to God, I have through mercy had 
some fruit of my labour in the Lord. 

A camp-meeting was appointed in the town 
of Carmel, in Westchester county, which 
was the first ever held in the state of New- 
York. On the day appointed for its com- 
mencement I took a little money in my 
pocket, threw my great coat over my arm, 
and started for the meeting in company with 
J. L. When I arrived the people were col- 
lecting. I sat down under a tree, and sung 
the first hymn ever sung at a camp-meeting 
in this state. Brother Sergeant preached at 
3 o'clock; then preaching, singing, and 
prayer w r ere continued till night came on. 
Brother T. W. invited me to go home with 
him, and spend the night. I accepted his 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



63 



invitation; brother L. accompanied me ; we 
had a good time in family prayer; after break- 
fast we returned to the camp ground ; there 
were but few present. At 10 o'clock we had 
preaching: the preacher bore down pretty 
hard on those who left the ground the night 
before, and said the wicked took possession, 
and carried on all night ; I sat and cried, and 
resolved that I would not leave the ground 
another night till the meeting broke up. Af- 
ter preaching, the prayer-meetings began. I 
thought as we had men of ability and learn- 
ing there to carry on the meetings, and as in 
all probability doctors, lawyers, and mer- 
chants would be present, it would not do for 
such a poor weak creature as me to say or do 
any thing, so I held back ; in this way I 
worried along till about sun-down ; but I could 
stand it no longer, and I made up my mind 
that if lawyer, doctor, Tom Paine, or any one 
else, weie present, I must go to work, so I 
fell upon my knees and began to pray ; I 
had uttered but a few words before the glory 
of the Lord shone around me, and the love of 
God came into my poor soul in such floods 
that my body was overpowered, and I fell 
prostrate on the ground, and a number of 
others with me ; there I lay some time, as 
happy as I could be in the body. Upon reco- 
vering my strength, I arose prepared for bat- 
tle ; I drew my sword, which was ornament- 
ed with glory, and tempered with heavenly 
love, and by the help of the Lord I fought all 



64 



A NARRATIVE OF 



that night, singing, praying, and exhorting. 
Sometimes, while at prayer, I could hear the 
people falling like logs around me ; the work 
went on gloriously; as the friends grew wea- 
ry they retired to their tents and wagons, 
and sometimes I was left with only two or 
three, but I kept on working as if I had thou- 
sands around me. 

Just as the day began to dawn, brother 
Candee came along, and told me there were 
forty or fifty young people up in the grove, 
engaged in singing songs, and asked me to go 
up and exhort them : away I ran, and when I 
came near them, I began to exhort them in a 
gentle tone of voice, but they laughed at me. 
I looked up to God, and he strengthened me. 
I opened my mouth once more in exhortation, 
and my voice seemed like thunder, and the 
very earth appeared to tremble under my 
feet ; the power of God fell upon the young 
company, and they cried aloud for mercy. 
The brethren came running up and we sur- 
rounded them, and before sun-rise about 
twenty were converted. They came into 
the camp, and throughout the rest of the 
meeting they fought on the Lord's side, like 
true Israelites. After this there was no inter- 
mission, day or night, till the meeting closed. 
I think there were but three tents on the 
ground. After the first night I did not close 
my eyes to sleep. Our New-York friends 
were there, and among them uncle Joseph 
Smith. Things were not then so nicely ar- 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



ranged camp-meetings as they are now : we 
had no chairs to sit on, nor could we very 
handily shave every morning, nor keep our 
bosom quite as white, nor our collar as high up 
our faces, as some do in these latter days. 
But we were all working men, and the wo- 
men worked too, and our labour was not in 
vain in the Lord. A great many experienced 
religion ; a sister, the wife of one of our ex- 
cellent brethren, fell under the power of God, 
and was removed to a neighbouring house, 
where she lay about three days, and hundreds 
went to see her while in that state. 

At the close of the meeting I started for 
home, accompanied by several friends ; I was 
very happy. On the way I called at a house 
to get a drink of water, a young man was 
there who had been at the meeting, and was 
very much displeased with it ; I told him my 
prayer was, that the power of the Lord might 
come upon him ; he flew in a passion, took up 
his axe and swore he would split my head 
open if I did not leave the house ; we left the 
house, and he followed us to the road. We 
reached brother L.'s that night and had a meet- 
ing ; the next day I arrived home and found 
all well. 

For a week after my return home I was so 
overwhelmed by the presence of the Lord 
that I could not work ; during the week we 
had a number of precious meetings. I then 
went to work at my trade, and continued at 
it till about the middle of January, when my 
6* 



| 



66 



A NARRATIVE Of 



friends at the east sent me a present of a quan- 
tity of Indian meal and leather, with a mes- 
sage for me and brother F. to come imme- 
diately up to them. The work of the Lord 
had broken out in the town of Ellsworth, east 
of Sharon, and they wanted labourers. Bro- 
ther F. furnished me with a horse, saddle, and 
bridle, and we went up together. We held a 
number of meetings, and the Lord was with 
us. At the request of the preacher I took the 
circuit, leaving him in Ellsworth in the midst 
of the work. My first appointment was at 
Pine Swamp; I was much blessed with this 
people. Next night held meeting at Sharon 
hollow ; and the next night at the schoolhouse 
at Canaan Falls ; the power of the Lord came 
upon the people. The next day held meet- 
ing in Old Canaan-street; had a precious 
season — and in the evening at New Marl- 
borough, at the house of brother S. From 
thence I went to Sheffield ; and on Sabbath 
morning had a good meeting at the school- 
house in Salisbury. I then went to Mount 
Washington, and held meeting at the house of 
brother K. ; the room was well filled, and we 
had a powerful class-meeting; some fell to 
the floor. The next night, at Livingston's 
manor, had a gracious time in speaking from 
Isaiah iii, 10, 11 : " Say ye to the righteous, 
that it shall be well with him : for they shall 
eat the fruit of their doings. Wo unto the 
wicked," &c. The Lord was with us. The 
next day went to Mount Ross ; there I met 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



67 



with one of our old preachers, J. N. He 
preached, and I exhorted ; we had a glorious 
season. Here the preacher of the circuit, 
brother D., was to meet me, but not finding 
him, I started for Amenia to look for him. 
Between daylight and dark, I called at N.'s, 
and inquired of a young woman who stood on 
the stoop the distance to P. P.'s. I started 
again, when she asked me if it was not Mr. 
Horton. I said, Yes. She then told me that 
a young man had been up from my neigh- 
bourhood to inform me that my house was 
burned. I started, not knowing how my family 
had fared, but fearing the worst ; the devil 
took advantage of my misfortune, and pressed 
me hard. When I arrived at the house of 
brother P., I found the family had gone to 
meeting. I went to the house of brother T. 
J., where the meeting was held ; at the close 
of the meeting, I learned the particulars of my 
loss, but my family were all safe. The peo- 
ple all retired, except three young persons. I 
sat in the corner and began to sing ; the power 
of the Lord came upon us, and two of the 
young people fell to the floor. I sung and 
prayed with them until they experienced re- 
ligion ; my soul was much blessed of God. 

The young man, who was one of the three 
just mentioned, afterward became a travelling 
preacher. The next day, I started for what 
had been my home ; I found my family all 
well, and at the house of one of my children 
in the Lord, W. D. We were somewhat 



6S 



A NARRATIVE OF 



cramped for room in the old log house, bu 
we were very happy, 

In about ten days after my return, an ex- 
press came for me to go round the circuit for 
brother F. W. The brethren advised me to 
go, promising, when I came back, to turn out 
and help me fix up an old log house belong- 
ing to brother S. Whan I returned from my 
tour, brother F. brought me a load of boards ; 
and I went to work with no other than my 
little boy to help me. I worked hard for two 
weeks, in order to get my family settled be- 
fore the Tuckahoe camp-meeting, to which I 
had promised to go. I took a very heavy 
cold, but succeeded in getting my family 
moved the day before I had to start for the 
camp-meeting. Next morning, brother F. 
carried me to Poughkeepsie, and I got on 
board brother J. P.'s sloop ; was unwell, but 
the exercise in meetings in the cabin and hold 
of the sloop kept me in a good perspiration, 
and I grew better; a number experienced re- 
ligion on the way. We landed at Dobb's 
Ferry, and a number of us started on foot. On 
the way, I called in at old S. Sherwood's, to 
get a drink of water and light my pipe; and 
while there, Bishop Asbury came out of his 
room and said, " Is this my brother Horton ? 
I have heard of you, but never saw you be- 
fore." So he stood and talked kindly to me, 
and stroked my head, and went back into his 
room. I started again for the camp ground. 
On my way, the Lord blessed me so power- 



JAMES. P. HORTON. 



69 



fully that I could hardly walk ; I believed it 
was in answer to the prayer of Bishop Asbury 
for me. When I reached the ground, there 
was but one tent up ; I went in and began to 
sing and pray. The power of the Lord was 
present to save; and before the second tent 
was up, several were converted. There was 
no intermission of the work from that time to 
the close of the meeting; many were brought 
to the knowledge of the truth. Under brother 
S. Arnold's sermon in the evening, I was so 
blessed that I did not know but my happy 
soul would break away from my body. In 
the midst of my ecstasy an old relative took 
me by the hand and kindly invited me to come 
and visit him ; this same uncle onee threatened 
to horsewhip me, if I came to his house bawl- 
ing and shouting, as he called it. I visited 
him in the city, and he treated me very po- 
litely ; we had prayers down in the kitchen; 
he begged me to moderate, and I tried as far 
as I could to humour him. 

After I returned home, brother W. L. in- 
sisted on my going out to Tower Hill to hold 
meeting; he sent out appointments by the 
preachers; so I went out, and had meeting at 
E. B.'s on Saturday night. The next day had 
a large congregation at Eben Benham's. The 
power of the Lord came down ; sinners were 
awakened, and there was the shout of a king 
in Zion. 

At this meeting, Allan Gray was power- 
fully awakened, and experienced religion; 



70 



A NARRATIVE OF 



he was so happy, and so thankful, that he ran 
immediately home and brought all the money 
he had, and gave it to me, and said if he had 
a hundred dollars I should have it all ; shortly 
after which, his wife and her mother also ex- 
perienced religion, and her father, who had 
backslidden, was reclaimed, and joined the 
Methodist Church. Sister Gray afterward 
had a son, whom she named after me, calling 
him James ; the family were always very 
kind to me. 

Brother A. G. having loaned me a horse, 
I went to a quarterly meeting in the town of 
Cornwall, Connecticut ; the preaching was in 
the grove, and the pulpit was a rock. Under 
the preaching I had a gracious season. At 
the conclusion of the sermon, I had to stand 
on the rock and exhort. About a year after, 
I saw brother C, who informed me that un- 
der the exhortation, the most wicked woman 
in the town was awakened ; she embraced re- 
ligion, and became a faithful member of the 
church. After the quarterly meeting, bro- 
thers E. S., J. S., D. E., and brother F., 
started for camp-meeting in Stillwater, Sara- 
toga county ; we put up the first night at 
brother N.'s ; the next night in Troy ; and 
the next day, Wednesday, we reached the 
camp ground. The weather was heavy, and 
the sky was overcast all day; meeting com- 
menced in the afternoon. In the evening it 
began to thunder and lighten ; about ten 
o'clock, the rain began to fall ; and it con- 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



71 



tinued raining until toward daybreak on Sab- 
bath. The meeting went on without inter- 
mission day or night. I was constantly wet ; 
my new hat was completely soaked, and the 
colouring ran down my face ; and I suspect I 
did not look any the better for it. Father 
Asbury would sometimes call me into his tent, 
and make me sit down and rest, and take re- 
freshments out of a big chest. Brothers Sam- 
uel Cochran, Samuel Coates, and Seth Crow- 
el, were there ; they were young men, and 
had been labouring in Canada ; this was the 
first time I ever saw them. At midnight, bro- 
ther S. Crowel got up into a wagon, and gave 
an exhortation ; such a one I never heard be- 
fore, and never expect to hear again. It ap- 
peared to me while he spoke, that the heavens 
and earth were coming together. After he 
finished, he sung the hymn, " My soul is full 
of glory, inspiring my tongue." I had never 
heard it before. I was as happy as I could be, 
and live in the body. One night during the 
meeting, when the hail was falling, and the 
thunder roaring, the Lord blessed me in such 
a powerful manner that I lost my strength, 
and fell helpless to the ground ; the wicked 
gathered around me ; one felt of my pulse, 
another swore I was dead, another said he 
was glad of it, and hoped, as one was killed, 
that camp-meeting would be broken up. After 
a while my strength returned, and I rose up 
shouting, " Glory to God !" some ran, others 
appeared amazed to see me alive. A great 



A NARRATIVE OF 



many experienced religion at this meeting. 
Before the meeting, it had been very dry ; and 
the wicked had determined to break up the 
meeting by setting fire to the woods ; but the 
copious rain defeated them. From this meet- 
ing, I went to Broadalbin, to visit my father 
and brothers, and held a number of meetings 
in their neighbourhood. I was tried with 
myself, because I could not pray or worship 
without crying aloud, and making so much 
noise; but God was with me ; a number were 
awakened, and experienced religion. One of 
the young men converted at that time after- 
ward became a travelling preacher. Sixteen 
years ago, I heard him preach at a quarterly 
meeting in Canandaigua ; he was a presiding 
elder ; he knew me well, and was not ashamed 
of me. 

I returned home about the middle of July, 
and worked at my trade till September ; then 
the camp-meeting at Croton came on ; it was 
the first held on General Courtland's grounds. 
Several hundred of us got on board of brother 
Pardee's sloop and went to the meeting; it 
was judged that twenty thousand people at- 
tended the meeting. Our prayer-meetings 
were then generally held out of the tents in 
large circles ; sometimes two or three hundred 
on their knees together; and their was no 
embargo laid on us ; but we could sing and 
pray, and exhort, all night long; and the Lord 
poured out his Spirit upon the people, and very 
many were converted. At this meeting, a 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



73 



young man from Fishkill Hook, G. H., fell 
under the power of God ; his companions 
caught him up and carried him off, and put 
him in a wagon ; he lay a few minutes, and 
the Lord blessed him with the pardon of his 
sins ; he rose up and began to exhort them, 
and they all ran and left him ; he came into 
the camp very happy. 

Another young man came with his mother 
and other company in a wagon, and com- 
menced putting up a tent. There was so 
much singing and praying all around him, 
that he became enraged, and began to curse 
and swear bitterly, and fairly jumped up and 
down with passion ; in the midst of his wicked 
gale the power of God struck him down to 
the earth ; he was carried into a praying 
circle, and the Lord blessed him ; his old 
mother's heart was filled with joy. At the 
close of the meeting, father Garrettson came 
to me and gave me nine crowns, and told me I 
must attend all the camp meetings without 
fail; which I endeavoured faithfully to do* 
I nerer missed but one camp-meeting at Cro- 
ton, and that failure was in consequence of 
my wife's illness at the time, 

The following year, I attended another 
meeting on the ground. It was a time long 
to be remembered. One night during an ex- 
hortation from brother Candee, it was judged 
that four or five hundred people fell under 
the power of the Lord. I took a stand on 
the hill, by a large log; several brethren 



74 



A NARRATIVE OF 



were busily employed looking up the mourn- 
ers and bringing them to the circle of prayer. 
The power of the Lord to heal was so pre- 
sent that it seemed only necessary to point 
the broken-hearted to the Lamb of God, and 
pray for and with them, and they came into 
liberty and went away praising a sin-pardon- 
ing God. Thus they continued coming and 
going all the night, and there was no inter- 
miss on till sun an hour high in the morning. 
I thought if I could always have such employ- 
ment, blessed as I was of God, it would be 
good enough for me. The slain of the Loid 
were found in the woods all around the camp ; 
some were found by the groans they uttered, 
and brought into the camp, and encouraged 
to seek the Lord. One morning during the 
meeting, brother J. W. came to me in compa- 
ny with a gentleman from New-York, who 
was about to leave the ground. He gave me 
some money, and insisted on my visiting him 
in the city after the meeting closed : so when 
the meeting broke up I concluded to go. I 
got on board the sloop with the coloured peo- 
ple. It was late in the afternoon ; they re- 
quested me to pray — I knelt down on the 
quarter deck, and began. I had not prayed 
long before they began to jump and fall 
around me in every directiou. Fearing some 
mishap I got up, and set guards over them, 
and then engaged again in prayer. We had 
a good season, and between twenty and thir- 
ty professed to experience religion, and a 



c 



JAMES P. HORTON. 75 

goodly number the blessing of perfeet love- 
The next morning a sloop came along, 
with a great many passengers on board ; they 
told us that the yellow fever had broken out 
in the city, and many persons were dying 
daily, and many flying to the country. It 
was thought best for me not to go to the city, 
and they landed me about two miles below 
Tarrytown. I went to White Plains, and 
had a few meetings ; and thence to North- 
castle : there I was informed that the gentle- 
man who invited me to visit him in the city, 
had moved his family to Bedford in conse- 
quence of the sickness. The next afternoon 
I intended to visit him, but word came that 
he died that morning. In the evening I went 
to hear brother W. Thatcher preach at the 
house of brother Kirby. The old lady, hear- 
ing that "Crazy Horton" was coming to the 
meeting, locked herself up in a room in one 
corner of the house. After meeting I mount- 
ed my horse and rode on. We had had a 
precious meeting, and the Lord blessed me 
so that I could hardly sit on my horse. I 
travelled on a slow walk, and was passing the 
house of sister O. She stood in the doorway 
with a light in her hand, and invited me to 
stop — so I dismounted and went in. After 
my horse was taken care of, and supper end- 
ed, we had family prayer. I lodged in an 
upper room : during the first part of the night 
I was sorely tempted by the devil ; at one 
time it seemed as if the house was falling, 



76 



A NARRATIVE OF 



and I was tumbling down among the rubbisn 
into the cellar. Then I was beset in some 
other w r ay, and it w T as some time before I 
could compose my mind, and feel that the 
arms of my heavenly Father were around me, 
I arose in the morning early, and seeing a 
house at no great distance, I started for it. — 
It was the house of the widow 7 H. As I ap- 
proached, some boys came out at the back 
door, and seeing me they started aw T ay across 
the field. I exhorted them as they ran, and an 
arrow reached the heart' of one of them, and 
he soon after experienced religion. I went 
into the house and prayed with the old lady. 

I returned home, but was soon sent for to 
go up to the town of Northeast. Brother 
P. P. and other brethren had gone up from 
Amenia, and held meetings in the vicinity of 
a Baptist neighbourhood. There were no 
Methodists in the place, the people were prin- 
cipally Baptists, and most if not all of them 
were in a backslidden state. As they would 
say, the little spark was buried up in the ash- 
es. They had a meeting house, if such it 
might be called ; they had no minister, and 
the old meeting house was in such a dilapi- 
dated state the weatherboards were falling 
off, and some were hanging loose and clatter- 
ing in the wind. They commenced, and held 
several prayer-meetings. The Lord poured 
out his Spirit in a wonderful manner upon the 
people, and a number of the children of the 
old backslidden Baptists were awakened and 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



77 



converted, and went home praising the Lord, 
and telling what he had done for their souls. 
This waked up the attention of the old 
people, and the whole neighbourhood came 
out to meeting. Many backsliders were re- 
claimed ; and all joined the Methodist society, 
but two, who were rigid Calvinists. These 
two sent into Connecticut for an old Baptist 
minister, to come and preach the peculiari- 
ties of their creed, and to oppose the work 
of God as it was then going on. When, 
their champion arrived, he, and the two that 
held out against the Methodists, went from 
house to house among the young converts. 
They would request them to tell their ex- 
perience : the young people would freely, and 
in the simplicity of the gospel tell all that the 
Lord had done for them, and how happy 
they were in his love. Then the minister 
would say to them, u Have you felt so ever 
since you professed to experience religion ?" 
and they would answer, "Yes." Then he 
would say, " These raptures of love which 
you feel are no evidence of your being Chris- 
tians — that he had been a great many years 
a preacher of the gospel, and he found the 
best place for him was in the valley, and 
under doubts and fears — and that he commit- 
ted sin enough in his best performances to 
damn a thousand worlds. And then he would 
turn to one of the others and say, " Brother, 
now let us hear your experience." And he 
would say, " O you, in giving your expe- 
7* 



A NARRATIVE OF 



rience, have related mine as well, and better 
than I could have related it myself." Welly 
at last they came to the house of Mr, Shel- 
don, whose daughter Sally had experienced 
religion ; and they got Sally to tell her expe- 
rience ; after which the old minister told his bre- 
thren, and stated, as he had to the others, that 
her happiness and the love which she felt were 
no evidence of religion, and about his doubts 
and fears, and what a great sinner he was, 
and then called upon Mr. Sheldon, her fa- 
ther, to relate his ; and he replied as before, 
that the minister, in relating his experience, 
had related his own better than he could tell 
it himself. This set Sally to doubting. She 
thought if her father and the minister, who 
had been so many years professors of religion, 
felt so, why of course she must be deceived, 
and what she believed to be religion must be 
a delusion : and before she was aware of it, 
she was in the valley sure enough. And it 
so wrought upon her mind that she left the 
spinning wheel at which she was engaged, 
and ran up stairs, and there she gave vent to 
her grief in tears. Her father and the old mi- 
nister followed her up, supposing that they 
had made a convert of her, and the minister 
said to her, " Sally, shall we pray with you V 9 
She answered, " No : for if you are such great 
sinners as you say you are, God will not 
hear your prayers, and so I must pray for 
myself." And at it she went, and very soon 
the Lord heard and blessed her; and she 
could again shout his praises — so they made 



JAMES V, HORTON. 



but little headway with her. As they went 
round the neighbourhood, they gave out 
meeting for the sabbath, and some of the 
people went to the meeting. When the mi- 
nister rose to commence the meeting, he be- 
gan in a tone of voice which they called the 
gospel sonnet, and said, " How much sing- 
ing, and praying, and exhorting have been 
here, and no Jesus in it. But I hope as to 
my singing, and praying, and exhorting, Je- 
sus will be in it." What presumption, to 
stand up before the Lord, who had been 
working so wonderfully among the people, 
awakening and converting sinners by scores, 
and reclaiming backsliders, &c, and telling 
him such an abominable story. However, it 
had but little effect on the people, as he eould 
obtain but two proselytes whom he baptized. 

I saw Sally a few years afterward. She 
was still on her way to heaven. She had 
married a wicked man, from whom she had 
suffered much persecution on account of her 
religion, as she told me. But the good Lord 
had removed him out of the way. 

In the fall I attended a camp-meeting, held 
in brother Jewett's woods. Brother M. was 
presiding elder. We had a blessed season, 
but the work was somewhat hindered by the 
wicked. A goodly number, however, were 
converted. S. S., a Universalist preacher, 
was awakened ; he was very troublesome at 
the meeting ; and when he was told to stop 
his arguments and disputings, or leave the 



so 



a narrative of 



ground, he became very angry, and told the 
people he would go off the ground and preach 
a sermon to all that would follow him. A 
number went, and he preached Universalism 
for the last time. He had preached the doc- 
trine forty years, and travelled a great deal. 

After camp-meeting, I rode home with 
brother Ferguson, and worked at my trade 
until about the middle of January. I then 
went out to visit my friends, and labour for 
souls. Began on Tower Hill, from thence 
went to Amenia, and then to Northeast— 
thence to Salisbury, and held meeting on Sa- 
turday night at brother E.'s. After meeting, 
brother S., son of the old Universalis* 
preacher above mentioned, came to me and de- 
sired me to go home with him to visit his wife, 
whose health was poor, and who was ear- 
nestly seeking a deeper work of grace, and 
desired to see me. I went with him, and got 
to his house at about ten o'clock at night. 
There I found his old father on his knees, 
praying for mercy : he seemed determined 
never to rise till he found salvation ; after 
some conversation, I persuaded him to rise 
and take some refreshment, and endeavour 
to get a night's rest, for he had been several 
days-in great distress of mind. He took my 
advice, and we had family prayer. In the 
morning after reading and singing, we kneel- 
ed for prayer ; the blessing of the Lord came 
upon us : sister S. lost her strength, brother 
S, shouted aloud — we had a precious season. 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



81 



Expecting a brother to call for me in his 
sleigh, I took breakfast, which I had chiefly 
to prepare for myself, as brother and sister S. 
and the old people had enough to do to praise 
the Lord for his wonderful mercy to them. 
I then left them, as happy a family as I ever 
saw. The old people and sister S. died a 
short time after this. 

At the same camp-meeting, a brother de- 
sired me to go and talk with his wife, though 
he feared it would do her no good. She had 
once enjoyed religion, and was very happy in 
her mind; while engaged in her domestic con- 
cerns, she was generally singing the praises 
of God. But she had been visited by some old 
Calvinistic Baptists, whose conversation had 
led her into doubts and darkness ; until at 
last she had come to the conclusion, that she 
was a reprobate, and that her damnation was 
sure ; in this state she sought to destroy her- 
self, and had given up all concern for her do- 
mestic affairs. After hearing of her state, I 
took brother U. F., and went to the tent 
where she was ; the poor woman looked pale 
and melancholy. I began to talk to her ; she 
told me it was of no use for me to talk to her, 
for her damnation was sure, and she knew 
the moment when the Spirit of the Lord left 
her ; and she was sealed over to eternal death. 
I told her the devil was a liar ; and asked if 
she did not feel a desire to be made happy in 
the love of God, and go to heaven, where Je- 
sus is, when she left this world ; she replied* 



82 



A NARRATIVE OF 



" O, yes ! but then that cannot be." I told her 
there was mercy in abundance for her ; and I 
preached Jesus to her, as a loving Saviour. 
Soon the big tears gushed from her eyes, and 
ran down her pale cheeks, and she trembled. 
I continued for some time to encourage her, 
and then left her in the hands of the good 
Lord. The next summer I saw her husband ; 
he told me that his wife, soon after the camp- 
meeting, had recovered her peace and joy ; 
and now, although reduced in circumstances, 
by her long affliction, they were happy in the 
love of God, and took comfort as they travelled 
together to their home in heaven. 

The next fall, a camp-meeting was held 
again in Croton. I went on board the old 
sloop once more, and started for the ground. 
When we got below Newburgh, it became 
calm, and we commenced a prayer-meeting, 
sun about an hour high. While I was en- 
gaged in prayer, the power of God came down 
upon us in a remarkable manner, saints re- 
joiced, and sinners cried for mercy ; boats 
came from the shore to the sloop, bringing 
awakened sinners ; we took them on board 
and prayed with them, and many went away 
rejoicing. I was very happy. In passing 
along, I found a young man on his knees, 
with his hands holding fast to the railing of 
the sloop. I exhorted him to look to the Lord 
Jesus ; his appearance and manner impressed 
me that he was tempted to jump overboard ; 
so I fell upon my knees behind him with my 



JAMES F. hORTON. 



83 



arms each side of him, intending to catch him 
if he attempted to jump ; he soon experienced 
religion ; he then told me that all that pre- 
vented his throwing himself into the river, 
was the fear we would get him on board again* 
We reached the camp ground in safety, and 
had a great and precious time of the outpour- 
ing of the Spirit of God. My soul was won- 
derfully blessed. During the meeting, I went 
among the coloured friends, to see how they 
got along ; some were lying on the ground, 
and some were leaping and praising God ; 
they appeared to be very happy* I thought 
if they could be more moderate in some of 
their exercises, it would have a better effect 
upon the spectators ; but finding that my rea- 
sonings concerning their movements were not 
profiting my own soul, I left them. Many 
were converted at this meeting. 

I returned home by the way of Poughkeep- 
sie, on Friday night ; and on Saturday, went 
to quarterly meeting at Swago. At the love 
feast on Sabbath morning, the house was so 
crowded that a number of us had to stand dur- 
ing the meeting. Brother D. began to sing, 
and the power of the Lord came upon us. I 
was happy beyond description, and I believe I 
acted as immoderately as the coloured people 
did at the camp meeting, when I was a little 
tried with them ; and one good sister, who 
had sharply reproved me for making a noise 
on other occasions, at this meeting went be- 
yond me in shouting and leaping and praising 



54 



A NARRATIVE OF 



the Lord, Some good Presbyterians were a' 
this meeting ; the)' told the people they thought 
the devil was in me ; but they returned home 
that evening and had a meeting, and the power 
of the Lord came upon them, and many of 
them fell to the floor. 

Our next quarterly meeting was at Rhine- 
beck. After preaching on Saturday, thirty 
or forty of us went to father Garrettson's 
houses two rooms were prepared to lodge us ; 
when the men retired to their room, they 
kneeled down for private devotion, and the 
blessing of God came upon us, and we spent 
the whole night in worshipping the Lord ; 
some experienced the blessing of perfect love, 
and the house resounded with the praises of 
God, In the morning when we came down for 
family prayer, father Garrettson came smiling 
into the room and spoke affectionately to us, 
and after prayer and breakfast, we started to 
the love feast, and the good Lord was with us 
there. Father Garrettson was the presiding 
elder. I returned home and worked at my 
trade until February ; then I left home and 
went over to Pawlingstown and held meet- 
ings. I could not rest long at home — I was 
pressed in spirit to be about the work in which 
my soul delighted, and was greatly blessed. 
When at home, I laboured diligently at my 
trade, frequently working till one and two 
o'clock in the morning, and being somewhat 
expert at my business, I could earn con- 
siderable money in a short time : and as soon 



JAjMES p. horton. 



85 



as I had earned enough to provide for my 
family, I felt constrained to be off in search 
of precious souls. 

I started on foot for the quarterly meeting 
at "Whiteplains, in the month of August. Fa- 
ther Garrettson preached on Saturday, and 
the Lord was with us. I was appointed, with 
about twenty more, to lodge at old sister 
Freedenburgh's. In the evening we had a 
prayer meeting, and continued it all night. 
In the morning only three remained to break- 
fast; the others ran around the neighbour- 
hood, telling what the Lord had done for them 
that night. In the course of the night, I 
went out alone, and in my private devotions 
I felt an assurance that I should have a great 
and good time at the quarterly meeting. In 
the morning I went to the meeting-house, 
fully believing that my expectations would be 
realized ; while the brethren were passing the 
bread and water around, the enemy tempted 
me and tried to rob me of my faith ; I bowed 
down my head and lifted up my heart to the 
Lord, and he gave me victory ; I was greatly 
blessed — my soul was so filled with the love 
of God, that for some time I was lost to all 
that was passing around me. It appeared to 
me that I was taken up into heaven, and there 
I saw the Lord upon his great white throne, 
and he spoke to me in melting language, thus : 
" Behold, dear child, none but the pure in heart 
can come here and there I saw the shining 
happy millions flaming around his throne in 
8 



so 



A NARRATIVE OF 



such immortal beauty that my tongue cannot 
describe it ; if I had really been translated to 
glory, it appeared to me I could not have been 
happier. When I came to my recollection, I 
was standing up on my seat with my hands up- 
lifted, and when I looked down upon the people 
around me, they looked like the shining ones 
in whose company I seemed to be the moment 
before in the heavenly world. I spoke to 
them, and the power of God fell upon them, 
and the people fell under it in every direction. 
When I sat down, I felt a sudden warmth in 
my chest, and brought up a mouthful of blood ; 
I then concluded I must have been shouting 
aloud, though I was not conscious of it ; for 
a moment I thought I might bleed to death, 
and the thought of seeing my wife and children 
no more, produced a damp upon my feelings, 
but it soon passed away ; and being unable 
to hold my peace, I went to the window and 
began to exhort the people that were out of 
doors, and the Lord took hold of theim Fa- 
ther Garrettson then said, " Brother Horton, 
go out of doors and do your duty so I left 
the love feast, went out at the window, and 
continued exhorting ; many fell to the ground ; 
when I became exhausted I leaned against the 
church, and then began again ; I continued 
till the love feast closed. We had a meeting 
that night at brother M. F.s., and a great time 
it was. The power of the Lord came among 
us ; sinners became alarmed : some ran out 
at the door, others jumped out at the windows, 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



87 



and some of the children of brother F. were 
among the flying ; but blessed be the Lord, 
they all experienced religion. I was happy 
that the Lord did own and bless the labours 
of such a poor illiterate creature, and my soul 
was humbled. Some of the good friends gave 
me a little money at this time which enabled 
me to get some new clothing. 

In September I started again on board the 
old sloop for camp meeting. The night be- 
fore I started, in returning home from bro- 
ther Doty's, I scratched my ankle with a 
blackberry vine ; in the morning it was much 
swelled, and inflamed, and exceedingly 
painful. Before I got down to Croton, 
my other ankle became also very painful. 
When we arrived at the landing place, I got 
a good brother on each side of me, put my 
arms around their necks, and thus walked up 
to the camp ground in my stocking feet ; 
every step gave me great pain. We landed 
in the night. I went into brother Tompkins' 
tent, and remained there till the next after- 
noon, when the Northcastle friends, hav- 
ing completed their family chapel, came 
for me to go and dedicate it. I hobbled to 
the tent as well as I could with a couple of 
sticks. We sang a hymn, and kneeled for 
prayer — the power of the Lord came upon us, 
and I forgot my pain in the happiness and 
peace that flowed into my soul. The pain 
entirely left me, but my feet remained so 
swelled that I could not wear shoes. I had 



88 



A NARRATIVE OF 



a precious camp-meeting", but if the Lord had 
not been more merciful to me than my bre- 
thren, I should have worn my life out long 
ago. All through the meeting it was, "Come, 
brother Horton, to this tent," and "Come, un- 
cle Jimmy, go open a meeting for us in that 
tent." And I could hardly get time to eat, 
or smoke. Sometimes I was so hemmed in 
by the crowd as to be almost suffocated. 
But it was a gracious meeting to me ; and 
with a joyful heart I embarked in the old 
sloop, bound for Poughkeepsie. We had on 
board a young woman from New-Paltz, who 
went to the camp-meeting on purpose to seek 
the blessing of pardon ; but came away with- 
out it. When within a few miles of the land- 
ing place, she began to cry, " Must I leave the 
sloop without religion! No no, I cannot." 
I told her to kneel down before the Lord, 
and we would pray for her. She kneeled, 
and a number of us with her, and we had not 
prayed long before the Lord blessed her, and 
she went home happy. 

Soon after my return home, I attended the 
quarterly meeting at Swago. The friends in 
Amenia had requested me to visit there. I 
gave them liberty to make an appointment for 
me on a certain sabbath in their meeting 
house. The time drew near, and I was 
crowded with business ; I hardly knew how 
to leave. On Saturday it began to snow. 
Not having much wood at the door, I went 
into the woods to cut some, and directed my 



JAMES P. HOSTON, 



89 



boy to come with the team. When he came 
I loaded the wagon, and went to cutting 
another load against his return. I cut the 
butt end of a dry sapling, that was over the 
hill, and took it on my shoulder, to carry it 
where the team could come : my feet slipped, 
and I fell to the ground with my burden ; the 
stick caught one of my fingers, and crushed 
it. I went home in great pain, and was seiz* 
ed with a fit of ague. I then concluded I 
should not get to my appointment the next 
day. In the morning, however, I felt it my 
duty to go, The weather was extremely 
cold, but my heart was warm with the love of 
God. So I took a few mouthfuls of break* 
fast, mounted my horse, and rode twenty 
miles to the meeting house ; and in my weak 
way talked to the people from Psalm lxxxiv, 
11, "For the Lord God is a sun and a shield) 
the Lord will give grace and glory : no good 
thing will he withhold from them that walk 
uprightly." To me it was a good time, and 
the people were blessed. At night we had 
prayer meeting at brother T. J.'s, and the 
Lord was with us. The next night we had a 
powerful meeting at brother M.'s ; the words 
I spoke from were, " They that wait upon the 
Lord shall renew their strength," &c. The 
Lord gave me liberty in speaking. After 
meeting, R. H. came to me, and insisted on 
my going home with him. I went, and was 
treated with the greatest kindness and atten* 
tion» A few years before this, I held a 
8* 



90 



A NARRATIVE OF 



meeting in the neighbourhood, at the house 
of sister W., and R. H. was present, and 
misbehaved. I reproved him for his conduct, 
and he was exceedingly angry, and swore he 
would horsewhip me for it, wherever he 
should find me. But, blessed be God, the 
"lion had become a lamb.'' The next night 
I held meeting at the house of brother T, J., 
and spoke from Luke xi, 2, " This man re- 
ceiveth sinners." Sinners were awakened, 
and rive souls were converted before the meet- 
ing closed* The friends in Amenia were very 
kind to me. In the morning brother and 
sister J. gave me a good supply of provision 
to take with me, and I started for home ; call- 
ed on a good friend on my way, who added 
something to my stock of provision, and 1 
reached home at 10 o'clock at night, very 
happy. 

I remained at home the next day and night. 
A light snow having fallen, and my finger be- 
ing in such a state that I could not work, I 
concluded to make father Garrettson a little 
visit ; so I bundled up my finger, got into my 
cutter, and started. But my finger troubled 
me, I was obliged every two or three miles to 
stop and warm it. And finding this delay was 
likely to make me very late at Rhinebeck, I 
called at the house of brother J. G., and held 
meeting there that night ; and a good time it 
was. The next morning the snow fell very 
fast, and I went over to see W. H. In the 
course of the day it changed to rain, and the 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



snow all ran off. On Monday morning I went 
to Poughkeepsie. Brother R. S. was then 
stationed there. The good people kept me 
among them seven weeks, and many good 
meetings young brother S. and I had toge- 
ther in the little church, and in private houses, 
The brethren kept my horse, and entertained 
me kindly. 

I returned home on Wednesday, and on 
that night I had a singular dream:— -I thought 
a thunder shower came up, the rain fell fast, 
presently it changed to a fine hail; then the 
hail fell larger, and continued to increase in 
size, until great cakes of ice fell thick and fast 
I expected every moment the house would be 
broken in and my wife and children killed.—* 
In my anxiety for my family I felt no[concern 
for myself. At length the clouds suddenly 
disappeared, and the sun shone out brightly, 
and my wife and children were all unhurt. 
The dream made an impression on my mind* 
The next night my wife was taken ill, but in 
the morning seemed well again, and went 
about her work as usual i and I started for 
Amenia to attend the quarterly meeting. We 
had a gracious season. In the love feast sis- 
ter R. was wonderfully blessed, and express- 
ed her happiness in triumphant language* 
The next sabbath morning, in the same frame 
ot mind, she took her flight to glory. Fa- 
ther Garrettson preached, and I was much 
blessed under the word. Before he finished, 
I saw one of my neighbours come in, and 



A NARRATIVE 0F : 



I suspected there was some message from 
home for me. At the close of the meeting he 
informed me that my wife had broke out with 
small pox, and he had come after me. I 
started for home, and arrived the next day at 
9 o'clock. When I came to my house, I 
found the doors open, and the things set out 
in the open air, and no wife nor child, to be 
seen within my dwelling. It was a melancho- 
ly hour for me. I soon learned that they had 
taken my wife to the house of T. F., where 
she took the disorder; and I found my chil- 
dren at the house of one of my neighbours. 
I took them home, and there I was shut in 
with them, no one coming near my habitation 
but the doctor. Sometimes I was ready to 
sink under my affliction, and then the recol- 
lection of my late dream, would give me cou- 
rage to hope that all would come out better 
than my fears. The children were all vacci- 
nated but two of them, being quite sick. 
And my wife hearing they had the small pox, 
came home immediately-^and there we were 
all together, and every body afraid to come 
near us: but all were spared. 

The next camp-meeting I attended was in 
the town of Goshen, Connecticut. E. Hed- 
ding was presiding elder. The Lord poured 
out his Spirit upon us, and many were con- 
verted, and some professed to find the bless- 
ing of perfect love. Brother Heddingpreach- 
ed from Luke xviii, 7, 8, " And shall not God 
avenge his own elect, which cry day and night 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



93 



unto him," &c. It was a powerful sermon, 
and there was a shout in the camp. 

I returned home after the close of the meet- 
ing. I was very hoarse, but I felt happy, and 
humble, and joyful. Icalled my family toge- 
ther for prayer, and the Lord heard and an- 
swered. The house was filled with his glo- 
ry, and my humble dwelling appeared to me 
like a palace of gold ; that night three of my 
children experienced religion. 

After this I attended a camp-meeting at 
INewburg, on S. Fowler's land. This I think 
was the first place at which the ten o'clock 
embargo was laid on the people. No singing, 
no praying, unless in silence, after that hour. 
I felt grieved, and walked around the still 
camp with a heavy heart. I came to a fire, 
at which an old man was sitting ; we entered 
into conversation — he was from England, and 
had often heard that great and good man, Mr. 
Wesley, preach- As we talked, the fire be- 
gan to burn in my soul, and I felt so happy, 
I fell upon my knees, thinking I would pray 
very low, and not disturb the people ; but my 
voice waxed louder and louder, till the people 
came running from their tents: one begged 
me to pray for him. We had a powerful 
time ; a number professed to be converted, 
and some to be perfected in love. We conti- 
nued at it all night. The next morning I 
expected that brother Ostrander would put 
me under guard, but he said nothing to me, 
and I worked in the old way all through the 
meeting. 



94 



A NARRATIVE OF 



The next winter I look a journey to the 
north. On my way I called at L. Suther- 
land's : they had gone to quarterly meeting;. 
I followed them, and came to a brother's 
house where they were engaged in a prayer- 
meeting. I went in unperceived, and kneel- 
ed down, and when an opportunity offered, I 
broke out in prayer, and till then they did not 
know I was among them. Here I first be- 
came acquainted with brother William Ross. 
The next morning in love feast I related my 
experience, and was much blessed. Brothers 
Anson and Swain, two of our old preachers, 
were there. I was on my way to visit my 
father at Broadalbin, and being invited to 
hold a meeting with them on my return. I al- 
lowed them to make an appointment for me. 
When I came back to my appointment. I 
found brother Thatcher there, so he preached, 
and I exhorted, and we had a crood season. 
I held a number of meetings around Stillwa- 
ter, and on the sabbath I preached to the peo- 
ple in the Stillwater church : we had a good 
congregation, and a powerful season. At night 
brother B. Silleck preached : I had never seen 
him before — I exhorted after him and closed 
the meeting. I went home with brother Su- 
therland, and they grave out for a meeting on 
Wednesday night, in brother S.'s meeting 
house, for me and brother W. On Wednes- 
day morning when I arose, I felt it impressed 
on my mind to leave the place, and I could 
not be prevailed onto remain, though I knew 



JAMES P. HQRTON. 



95 



not where I should go, or what work the 
Lord had for me to do. I got into my cutter 
and crossed Waterford bridge. At the gate 
I presented a bill to pay my toll, but the old 
man who kept the gate refused my money. | I 
offered him several small articles I had about 
me, buthe declined them, so I had to go back 
to the village, where after much difficulty I 
got my bill changed, and returned across the 
bridge and paid my toll ; but by this time it 
was after sunset. I travelled to Lansing- 
burg. As I rode through the street I heard 
some one calling after me : 1 stopped my 
horse, and looking around saw brother Chi- 
chester, who came to me and asked me where 
I was going; I told him I did not know ; he told 
me to follow him, which I did, and he led 
me to brother Drake's; they once resided in 
Poughkeepsie, and were glad to see me, and 
made me feel at home. Brother D. ran out, 
and gave notice for a meeting. And we soon 
had a company together. I prayed and ex- 
horted, and the Lord gave me liberty. I then 
invited the brethren and sisters to engage in 
prayer, which they did in good earnest. Af- 
ter a while one and another got up and 
acknowledged they had done wrong, and 
begged forgiveness. I did not know what to 
make of it at first, but I found afterward that 
they had been in difficulty, and gone so far 
that some of them had been cited before the 
church. The trial was to take plaee the next 
day, but this meeting was rendered instru- 



A NARRATIVE 07 



mental of healing the breach, and restoring 
harmony and love. The next day brother 
Anson came to the place, and I went with 
him to Troy, and remained for the quarterly 
meeting on Saturday and the Sabbath. 

After this I went on to Hillsdale, and held 
a number of meetings, and to Egremont, 
and Salisbury r and Ameniay where I spent the 
Sabbath, and had a good season with the bre- 
thren. On Monday evening I arrived at 
home, and found my family all well. I re- 
mained at home following my business till the 
camp-meeting at Rhinebeck, on father Gar- 
rettson's land. It was a very rainy time, but 
salvation came in floods upon the people^ 
While a very lively prayer-meeting was ire 
progress, an old Dutchman who had stood 
some time looking very earnestly at those 
engaged in it, turned away, and going to one 
of the preachers said to him, " Can I know 
my sins forgiven, just as well as if I should? 
sell a cow for twenty dollars, and take the mo- 
ney in my hand, and see I got it — and feel I 
got it — and know I got it?" adding, at the 
same time, that his preacher said it was im- 
possible. The preacher told him it was his 
privilege to know his sins forgiven. Upon 
that the old man turned away, and laid his hat 
and cane at the foot of a tree — went into the 
praying circle, kneeled down and began to 
pray. He had been thus engaged but a short 
time, when the Lord blessed him : he imme- 
diately sprang up, and cried, " Glory to God I 



JAMES P. HORTON, 



97 



now I know I have got the blessing, fori feel 
it in my heart ; and I would give the best 
cow in my yard if my wife and son were 
here." The old man was upward of eighty 
years of age. I spent the night, after the 
meeting broke up, at father Garrettson's. 
Then I went with brother S. Crowel to a 
number of his appointments on Dutchess cir- 
cuit. 

I next went to a camp-meeting in Durham^ 
N. Y. Here I met with some friends, who 
resided east of Sharon, at whose house I had 
held a meeting : and the Lord had blessed my 
labours in the conversion of one soul. They 
now resided in Sharon, west of Durham. In 
this neighbourhood, some of the brethren had 
been wonderfully blessed in praying for the 
sick, and they had received some remarkable 
answers to their prayers for their recovery. 
They at last became presumptuous, and in the 
case of a sick young woman who was attend- 
ed by a physician that was a deist, they insist- 
ed that in answer to their prayer the young 
woman would recover ; the doctor said she 
would die, and they carried matters so far as 
to agree that if the young woman did not re- 
cover, they would turn infidels, and if she did 
recover, the doctor promised to turn Chris- 
tian. During the camp-meeting the young 
woman died. These brethren were at the 
camp-meeting, but they went about with their 
heads bowed down, feeling that they were re- 
buked for their presumption. The meeting 
9 



98 



A NARRATIVE OF 



was a great one : many were converted, and 
more professed to experience the blessing of 
sanctification than I had ever before known 
at a meeting no larger than this. The meet- 
ing broke up about 10 o'clock on Monday 
morning, and brother D. K. and myself start- 
ed for home. When we had proceeded about 
two miles, the wind came out of the northwest 
and the cold increased very fast : we put up 
at a brother's on the Catskill mountain. In 
the morning the ground was covered with 
snow frozen so hard as to' bear our horses. I 
returned home and worked at my trade till 
February. I then went to White Plains to 
visit my friends, and had a number of good 
meetings with them. On Sunday I agreed to 
fill the appointments of brother Coles Carpen- 
ter, who could not leave home on account of 
sickness in his family. In the forenoon I 
went to King-street — in the afternoon to Saw- 
pits, "and in the evening to the Rye meeting- 
house. To this last appointment I went with 
some fear. I had seen brother Halsted of this 
place and his daughters at a camp meeting at 
Croton, and I heard he had come from the 
Presbyterian church to ours, and I was afraid 
my manner of conducting meetings would not 
suit him. I knew my weakness, and I 
thought I would not go into the pulpit. 
When I opened the door I saw the pulpit was 
lighted up, and old brother H. was seated in 
the altar. So I went in and entered the pul- 
pit : I gave out my hymn and began to pray, 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



99 



but I was cramped. After prayer I began 
to talk to the people, and had not spoken long 
before brother H. shouted aloud. This reliev- 
ed me, and I got into my old track : in my 
gale I knocked one of the candlesticks off the 
pulpit, but it did no harm, and I had a good 
time. After meeting, brother H. took me home 
with him, and treated me as a brother. After 
family prayer, I retired to my bed very happy. 
In the morning we had a precious season in fa- 
mily devotion. The old gentleman went out 
after breakfast, but he had not been gone long 
before he returned, and said, " Come, brother 
Horton, pray with us." We engaged in prayer 
together, by his request, many times during 
that, and the following day : and the good 
Lord heard and answered. Toward evening, 
I took leave of this kind family, and went to 
my uncle J. H., in Purdy-street, and held 
meeting there ; but I had not a very good time. 
From thence I went to White Plains. One day 
as I was walking along the road, a man over- 
took me in a cutter, and would have me get in 
with him; so I got in, and he said, " Mr. H., 
I believe you are a happy man, and I would 
give all I have in the world if I were as happy 
as you." I told him he need not do that, if he 
would only give his heart to the Lord, he 
would make him an humble, happy Christian. 
He inquired where I was going — I told him 
the place, and that I was going to hold a meet- 
ing there. He then told me who he was, and 
invited me to visit him. I got out of the cutter, 



100 



.V NARRATIVE OF 



and went to my appointment. He came and 
brought his sister with him. I had great liber- 
ty in speaking from these words, " They that 
wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength," 
&c. I visited Abraham H. On my return 
I called in at Richard Palmer's, and prayed 
w r ith him. "While at prayer, the Lord sent an 
arrow to the heart of Robert Palmer, who 
lived in an upper room : soon after this he ex- 
perienced religion, became a useful man, and 
still maintains his integrity. R. P. went 
with me to visit lawyer — — . I sung a hymn, 
and we all knelt down before the Lord, and he 
heard our prayers, and answered in blessings 
on our souls. When we arose we all wept 
together. The lawyer made me a handsome 
present, and repeated his kindness as often as 
I visited him. His sister did not live long ; 
but she experienced religion, and died happy. 

I started for home, and had many good 
meetings on my way. On sabbath held one 
at Mount Pleasant, another at sister Hall's. 
Went on to brother P.'s, near Cherry-street, 
and remained all night. Next day attended 
quarterly meeting in the old church at Ste- 
phentown. There I first fell in with brother 
Geo. Coles. At night I was at prayer meet- 
ing at brother Wilson's. Next morning in 
love feast I told my experience : brother C. 
was much pleased, and said it was worth a 
voyage from England to hear such an expe- 
rience of the Lord's wonderful goodness. It 
was a precious time to many poor souls. I 



James p. horton. 



101 



Went home with A. C, and had prayer meet- 
ing that night at his house, and the Lord was 
with us. The next day I reached home, and 
found all well. 

The next camp-meeting was at Haver- 
straw. There I got well acquainted with the 
Brooklyn friends. They seemed to want me 
all the time in their tents. Brother Ross foh 
lowed me, and would have me go to his tent, 
and pray especially that the Lord would sanc- 
tify his soul. I was humbled in the dust to think 
that so eminent a servant of the Lord should 
want such a poor illiterate creature as I was 
to pray so specially for him ; but we prayed 
together, and the Lord blessed him with the 
desire of his heart. After the meeting broke 
up, he returned to Brooklyn, and I was in- 
formed preached as he never did before ; 
and soon finished his work, and went to his 
reward. At this meeting many were convert- 
ed, and many experienced the blessing of per- 
fect love. I was kept at work so closely that 
I was pretty well worked up. So I returned 
home, and worked at my trade till Christmas. 
I then went to Fishkill mountain, and held 
meeting at the house of J. F. P. A. and 
his wife were both awakened that night. I 
returned home, and in about ten days receiv- 
ed a ]etter from brother P., the preacher on 
the circuit, containing some money, and a 
pressing solicitation to come immediately to 
their help — as they had made an appointment 
for me that night and two on the Sabbath* I 
9* 



102 A NARRATIVE OF 

put my horse before my cutter, and started in 
a snow storm — arrived safely, and had a pre- 
cious meeting at night. P. A, and his wife 
had both experienced religion. I attended 
my sabbath appointments — gave out more, 
and souls were awakened and converted at 
every meeting. I intended to return home 
on Tuesday, but it was five weeks and three 
days before I got away. During that time I 
was at work day and night. If I stole away 
to get a night's rest, the people would find out 
my retreat, and throng the house. The wea- 
ther was cold, and suffered much in riding 
from one appointment to another, frequently 
starting off when thoroughly wet with perspi- 
ration, and feeling before I had gone far as if 
clad in garments of ice. But the Lord was 
with me, and I neither laboured nor suffered 
in vain. Many were awakened and con- 
verted ; but when the preacher undertook to 
form a class I was astonished at the numbers 
that were rejected. The state of morals in 
the country had been very low, and numbers 
were found who had exchanged husbands and 
wives, and had reared families ; and now 
found it impossible to get matters right. 

The next sabbath evening, I had a meeting 
at Hutchins's house in Fishkill. I preached to 
the people in my weak way from 1 John iii, 
1 : " Behold what manner of love the Father 
hath bestowed upon us, that we should be 
called the sons of God." We had a good time. 
After meeting had been dismissed some time. 



JAMES P. MORTON. 



103 



one Mr. Rider came back and insisted that I 
should hold a meeting at his house before I 
returned home ; I was by this time anxious 
to get home, but he urged, and I consented. I 
went back to the mountain to the house of 
C. H., and told them on such a night I was to 
hold meeting at Rider's, at the foot of the 
mountain. When the time came, I tried to 
get some of them to go with me, but no one 
would go, so I went alone, and arrived before 
night. The landlord locked up his rum shop, 
and came with all his family to meeting ; the 
room was filled. After singing and prayer, I 
took for my text, Rev. vii, 14 : " These are 
they which came out of great tribulation, and 
have washed their robes and made them white 
in the blood of the Lamb." I never had a 
more attentive congregation ; some were 
awakened, and as I was afterward informed, 
joined the Baptist Church. On Tuesday morn- 
ing I started for home ; it was a mild day, the 
snow running off fast. I reached home about 
10 o'clock, after an absence of five weeks and 
three days. 

After being home a few days, I was taken 
with a distress through my whole system ; it 
appeared as if there were little weights to 
every particle of my body, weighing me down ; 
and I had, witha], such a weakness at my 
stomach that I thought I should never be able 
to speak again in public, and I was utterly 
unable to do any work at home. 

The quarterly meeting was to be held in 



104 



A NARRATIVE OF 



May at Shanadore ; brother Ferguson told me 
he was going in his wagon, and thought it 
would do me good to go with him ; so I went* 
The meeting was held in brother Gerow's barn, 
After meeting, Rider came to me and said I 
must go home with him, as they had appointed 
a meeting for me : I told him I was broken 
down, and did not expeet ever to hold another 
meeting ; he insisted on my going, if I could 
do no more than sit in meeting with them. I 
went, and the people came together; I sat 
still, and the fire began to burn ; I gave out a 
hymn and went to*prayer ; I felt a little better ; 
I began to speak to the people, and felt a great 
deal better ; next morning in love feast I felt 
better still. After the meeting broke up, I 
thought I would go on the mountain and see 
the lambs, and encourage them to hold on. 
Held prayer meeting that night at E. Shaw's. 
Next day brother Matthias was to preach his 
farewell sermon, at J. Foshay's. I went to 
hear him, but he did not come ; the house was 
full, and I talked to the people. In the course 
of my talk, I said something about John Cal- 
vin's doctrines that offended an old lady and 
her daughter so highly that they left the 
house. After meeting, I was more revived ; 
I gave out an appointment for brother Coch- 
ran's farewell sermon the next Monday. I 
went to hear him, but he did not come ; so I 
spoke to the people from Gal. vi, 14, "But 
God forbid that I should glory save in the 
cross of our Lord Jesus Christ," &c I had 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



105 



not spoken long, before the power of God 
came on me like a flood, and not on me only, 
but on the whole congregation ; all seemed 
in a flood of tears. I went on till my strength 
failed ; I then sat down a few minutes, after 
which I rose and talked a little ; I sat down 
the second time, and none offered to leave the 
house, so I got up and went to work again ; 
I laboured till I was exhausted, and then I 
went into the kitchen, took a draught of water 
and lighted my pipe. While I was there, the 
old lady who had taken offence at some of my 
anti-Calvinism at the other meeting, turned to 
sister P. and said, " Don't it beat all ; I came 
out last Monday to hear Mr. M. preach, and 
this old man was here — I was angry with him, 
and wondered he was permitted to preach, for 
I thought he was not fit to preach — I thought 
him the ugliest man I ever saw, and I hated 
the ground he walked on. To day I came to 
hear Mr. C, and the same old man is here 
again ; but I never heard such preaching, and 
I like him as much as I hated him before." 
After meeting, the people went about weep- 
ing. The old lady, after this, would have me 
visit her ; one of her sons afterward became 
a travelling preacher in the Genesee confer- 
ence. I returned home. I was then living 
on one of father Garrettson's farms, which 
was then in a very poor state of cultivation. In 
the summer I attended a camp-meeting in fa- 
ther Garrettson's woods ; many were convert- 
ed. After the meeting closed, we got on 



106 



A NARRATIVE OF 



board the sloop ; soon after starting, we began 
a prayer meeting, the power of the Lord came 
down upon us, and many fell under it ; among 
the rest was Sambo, a coloured local preacher. 
We had a great time. Brother E. Woolsey 
was with us ; we continued singing, praying, 
and exhorting, all the way down to New-Paltz, 
and many were blessed. Old brother Dusen- 
bury prayed that God would so unite our 
souls in love that we might be as a tangled 
skein of yarn that never could be got apart. 
Next morning the wagons came for the folks, 
and some of them, who lived four or five miles 
back from the river, said they heard us sing- 
ing and praying as we came down the river. 

I returned home, and kept at my trade till 
January ; then my wife had a fit and fell in 
the fire, and burned herself so badly that none 
of her friends expected she could survive ; my 
daughter Jane was in another room at the 
time, and hearing her mother make a strange 
noise, ran in and took her from the fire. I 
was confined by this sad occurrence, until 
April. I believe my wife would have died 
of her wounds but for a salve prepared by 
Ruth Wilkinson : it consisted of leaf tobacco, 
boiled in a kettle of water, then strained, and 
rosin and tallow added to it and boiled to- 
gether ; then when cool it was spread and ap- 
plied. This affliction to me was a sore trial, 
and my poor wife suffered dreadfully- P re " 
viously to this, I had been for five weeks so 
afflicted with rheumatism in my right arm 



JAMES P. HORTON, 107 

that I could not raise it up to do any thing, 
and I had then just begun to work a little. 
The day that my wife got so as to go out of 
one room into another, my son-in-law, J. 
Coles, was carried to his grave ; then I had 
to take my daughter and her two children 
home, which increased my family to ten. Af- 
ter this I pretty much gave up shoemaking, 
except for my own family, and went to work 
with my little boys and girls on the land ; and 
the best we could do we could not half the 
time raise enough on the land to bring the 
year about ; and when we got the farm in a 
better state of cultivation, and the people saw 
that things looked better, and the land began 
to produce pretty well, some tried to get the 
farm away from me. I had been down in the 
Highlands, which has since been called the 
Mission circuit. It was then a dark region, 
lying between Dutchess and Courtland cir- 
cuits. As I went from place to place exhort- 
ing the people I found many had once enjoyed 
religion, but were in a backslidden state ; this 
was so general that it seemed as if all the 
backsliders from the two adjoining circuits 
had settled themselves here in the mountains. 
I held a number of meetings with them, and 
the God of Jacob laid to his mighty hand and 
set the mountains on fire, and burned out 
many a backslider and other poor sinners too. 
I saw some of them yet in the good way, at 
the Singsing camp-meeting in 1837. 

After travelling the mountain two or three 



108 



A NARRATIVE OF 



weeks I came home. My folks then informed 
me that B. C. had been up to father Garrett- 
son's to get the place from me. So before 
day I started on horseback for Rhinebeck. I 
arrived at father Garrettson's just as they were 
going to their 4 o'clock prayer-meeting, at the 
parsonage on the Flats. When I got to the 
door a young man named Brooks was at 
prayer. When he finished we went in— fa- 
ther Garrettson handed me the hymn book ; 
we sang and kneeled in prayer— the power of 
the Lord came suddenly upon us : some were 
taken by surprise, and shouted aloud before 
they had time to reflect whether it was pro- 
per or not. Three young women cried 
aloud for mercy ; we prayed with them, but 
they did not find peace in believing at that 
meeting. We held meeting again at night : 
the people flocked out so that the house 
would not hold them. The three young wo- 
men all experienced religion, and a number 
more were awakened — had meeting next night 
in the church, about a dozen were brought 
into gospel liberty. We held one again the 
next night ; some females fell to the floor, and 
a number were blessed with pardon. The 
next day the men were in groups in the 
streets talking about what had transpired in 
the meetings. This falling down was some- 
thing they could not understand. They con- 
cluded they should think more of it if the 
men were the subjects of it as well as the wo- 
men. On Saturday night we had meeting in 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



109 



a private house, the women all met in a room 
by themselves, and the men in another. The 
power of God was present, and the m,en fell 
to the floor in numbers. That night brother 
Jesse Hunt came home. The next day he 
preached three sermons from these words : 
*' How shall we escape if we neglect so great 
salvation !" They were good sermons, and 
the Lord attended his word. I remained with 
this people two weeks, and the good Lord 
was with us in much mercy. There was a 
woman who had experienced religion, and her 
daughter also; they were very desirous to 
have me visit them. The husband was an 
opposer, and was much set against me : while 
he was away they sent for me — I went, and 
sung a number of hymns with them, and pray- 
ed with them. The door stood open ; while 
at prayer, the man's partner in business came 
in and passed quickly by me, and then turned 
and went out : this he continued to do till I 
had finished. When I arose he began upon 
me very roughly. I told him he was a poor 
wicked child of the devil, and that if he did 
not repent and get his soul converted, God 
would rain upon him snares, fire, and brim- 
stone, and a horrible tempest, and this would 
be the portion of his cup. He called me a 
liar, and said there was no scripture for my 
assertion; I told him where he could find it. 
He wished to the Lord I would go home, for 
ever since I had been in the place there had 
been such a noise that there was no comfort to 
10 



iio 



A NARRATIVE OF 



be taken day nor night. I told him I had 
thought of going home the next day, but now 
I would let him know that neither he nor his 
father the devil should drive me off the 
ground, and I would stay another week. 
Father Garrettson let me have some clean 
clothes ; so I visited the young converts all I 
could that week. In this revival a hundred 
were taken into the Methodist church, and 
some into the other churches. 

After this I went to the Mountain on busi- 
ness. On Saturday afternoon Caleb Horton 
and myself and some other brethren held a 
meeting in Peekskill Hollow, at the house of 
Mr. Tompkins. A Baptist preacher held a 
meeting in the neighbourhood, intending to 
dissolve his church and let his members join 
elsewhere. He had but three members when 
he was ordained over them, and he had nei- 
ther lost nor gained any. The Baptist chil- 
dren came to our meeting, and a good time 
We had ; the power of the Lord was with us, 
and there was weeping all over the house. 
After this I held a class-meeting, and they all 
remained. I spoke to one old professor, and 
asked him how it was with his soul : he 
said he was fall of sin. I told him he must 
repent of his sin, and get his soul converted 
and washed in the blood of the Lamb, or he 
would surely be lost. After meeting, the Bap- 
tist children went home weeping ; and when 
the minister and his three members got home, 
they found the children crying for mercy. 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



Ill 



Bo they established prayer-meetings, and I 
was afterward told forty were added to the 
Baptist church. Brother H. and I were ob- 
liged to leave, as we had appointments else- 
where. 

After this I attended a camp-meeting in Hills- 
dale, in brother Foster's woods. We had a glo- 
rious season, numbers were converted, and 
some experienced the blessing of sanctification* 

The next one I attended was on Chatham 
Mountain. At this meeting I was very much 
blessed of the Lord. A goodly number were 
brought to taste the sweets of pardoning 
mercy. I returned from this meeting very 
happy. I next attended a camp-meeting at 
Haverstraw : this was also a gracious season. 
When the meeting broke up, I got on board 
the steam-boat. Night came on, and I sat 
alone, meditating on the wonderful goodness 
of the Lord to me. Father Garrettson came 
to me, and asked if I recollected his giving 
me nine crowns some twenty years ago at a 
camp meeting, requesting me at the same time 
to attend all the camp-meetings I could — I 
told him I did. He asked me if I recollected 
who stood by at the time he did it — I told him 
I did. He then told me that that person had 
backslidden ; and taking advantage of that 
act of his, had lately demanded of him the mo- 
ney, with interest for twenty years, declaring 
that he lent me the amount, and that rather 
than have any trouble with him he had paid 
it This was the last time I was ever in the 



112 



A \ ARRATTVE OF 



company of that blessed man of God. He 
was a kind friend to me. He let me have a 
little farm to lire on while my children were 
at home with me. and this helped me greatly. 
Besides he used to send for me to make him 
a visit occasionally, when he would pay me 
every attention ; sometimes at his table my 
heart would melt within me to think that such 
a poor creature as I should be so honoured as 
to sit down with the princes of the Lord's peo- 
ple. Father Garrettson has gone to his re- 
ward — his memory is blessed : and I hope to 
see him in our heavenly Father's kingdom. 

When I arrived at Poughkeepsie on my re- 
tnrn from Haverstraw, I made up my mind to 
go to a camp -meeting to commence on Mon- 
day, at the town of Halfmoon. My daughter 
washed my clothes. I took them very damp, 
and went on board the noon boat, and reached 
Albany after sun-down. Went on board the 
Troy boat ; there was onboard a young man 
who belonged to Troy. I asked him to take me 
to the house of some Methodist, and he took 
me to brother Brown^s. a local preacher's, 
where I was accommodated. Soon after I got 
there, brother Cochran came in, and he 
knew me well. Xext day I went to church 
and heard brother J. Straiten. This was the 
first time I had ever seen him. After meeting 
the friends came swarming around me, and 
many seemed right glad to see me. I asked 
where they had ever seen me before : 41 Why, 
at camp-meeting some at one place, and 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



113 



others at another ; and some had been convert- 
ed while I was praying for them. I spoke to 
them in a class-meeting, attended preaching 
at night, and afterward met another class. 
The Lord was with us. The next day I start- 
ed for the camp-meeting ; the friends gave me 
a seat in their wagon ; we arrived safely, and 
here I met with many of the old Methodist 
friends that I had been with at a camp-meet- 
ing in Stillwater. I attended another meeting 
near Saratoga Lake, and another near Sarato- 
ga Springs. Here brother Ostrander presided. 
We had a glorious meeting. At this meeting 
I met with a number of the preachers. Bro- 
ther Foss preached from Romans i. 16, "For 
I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ," 
&c. The weather was fine, and the Lord was 
with us in power : many were converted. A 
good sister had two daughters converted at 
this meeting; she was exceedingly rejoiced, 
and praised the Lord aloud, for his wonder- 
ful goodness in saving her children in answer 
to prayer. At the close of the meeting they 
all got into the wagon, to return home. They 
had proceeded but a few miles when the mo- 
ther was thrown from the wagon, and bursting 
a blood vessel, she bled to death. She died 
shouting glory. 

I returned with my friends to Troy, and 
had a number of precious meetings with them. 
Old brother D. Marvin went with me to Lan- 
singburg, and we held a meeting there. We 
went out to old brother King's, and had a 
10* 



114 



A NARRATIVE OF 



meeting there. Next day we visited families 
and returned to Lansingburg. I was so un- 
well from a heavy cold I had taken that bro- 
ther M. had to attend the meeting without 
me. Next morning we went back to Troy. 
Here I visited a sick woman, who some time 
before had been powerfully awakened. She 
was tempted to believe that she was a repro- 
bate, for whom Christ had not died. She had 
sent for a young minister, and stated her feel- 
ings, and asked him what he thought of her 
case. He told her that she had every mark 
of a reprobate, and left her without praying 
with her. Brother D. Marvin found her out, 
and learning her condition, he offered Christ 
to her as her Saviour, and prayed with her: 
and she was shortly after brought into gospel 
liberty. She then sent for the young clergy- 
man, and warmly exhorted him to seek an ex- 
perimental acquaintance with Jesus, that he 
might be better qualified to present him as a 
a Saviour to the perishing sinner. After hear- 
ing her tell her story, we sung a hymn, and 
prayed with her : the power of the Lord came 
upon us all, and the dear woman, who was then 
on her death-bed, clapped her hands and 
praised the Lord aloud. We then parted, 
and I saw her no more. 

The friends here were very kind to me, and 
furnished me with some new clothing. On 
Babbath I went to West Troy, to fill an ap- 
pointment for brother Stratten. When I got 
there I had to go and attend the funeral of a 



JAMES V. HOKTON. 



115 



child, and then return to the meeting in the 
schoolhouse. I spoke to the people from 
Romans vi, 18, " Being then made free from 
sin, ye became the servants of righteousness." 
The Lord was with us. I left an appointment 
for the next Wednesday evening. The re- 
port of the meeting on Sabbath had gone 
abroad — a description of the old man that 
preached, and the noise he made, was circu- 
lated, and many concluded they would go to 
the next appointment. When Wednesday 
came, I was in Lansingburg, and forgot that 
was the night for the meeting; so brother 
Stratten went over. It was late when he got 
there ; the room was filled, and a number 
were out of doors. As he passed through 
the crowd, he heard them say, " That is not 
the old man." Brother S. preached, and had 
a good time ; and he afterward thanked me 
for giving out that appointment. The work of 
the Lord broke out in that place, and it was 
not long before they built a new church. I 
took my leave of this kind people — got on 
board the big boat at Albany, and landed at 
Poughkeepsie ; from whence I returned home, 
and found all well. 

The next summer I took brother Ferguson 
in my wagon, and went to camp-meeting on 
Chatham Mountain. Here we had a precious 
meeting, and many were made the happy sub- 
jects of pardoning grace. After the camp- 
meeting closed, we came to Hillsdale, and 
put up with H. T., and held meeting there, 



116 



A NARRATIVE OF 



-Five were converted at this meeting, and 
came out clear and bright. From thence we 
came to Pine Plains, and held meeting at 
night. Here I met mith old brother Keeler, 
and had a good time. Brother Ferguson was 
much blessed, and he made no little noise 
about iU The next night I got on my old 
battle ground, where thirty years ago the 
Lord gave me a number of souls as seals to 
my labour — some of whom, I have no doubt, 
are shouting in glory. We had a happy fare- 
well meeting. After meeting we went to our 
wagon, and found that some poor unhappy 
child of the devil had loaded it with stones : 
so we, like a couple of good natured Chris- 
tians, unloaded it — got on, and rode to the 
house of J: S. The next day we reached 
home. 

I went to the next camp-meeting in compa- 
ny with brother F. We had a glorious time. 
Many were converted at the meeting, and the 
people of God were greatly blessed. The 
last night brother T. Mason preached : my 
soul was refreshed while he spoke from Isaiah 
xxx, 25. I sat under the stand, and wept 
and shouted for joy. The word was manna 
to my soul ; and it appeared to me there was 
enough for all to gather and be satisfied. Af- 
ter the camp-meeting broke up, we went to 
Greenbush, and had a number of good meet- 
ings with our old friends, who removed there 
from Swago. 

During the winter I attended a protracted 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



in 



meeting at Verbank. We had a blessed sea- 
son : a number of sinners were brought to 
taste redeeming mercy. I remained there 
about two weeks — held meeting one night at 
the house of L. V.; he was under conviction, 
but he could not be brought to kneel in the 
meeting. After the people went away, I ex- 
horted him to seek God with all his heart. I 
told him to kneel before the Lord, and I 
would pray with him : he hesitated. When 
his wife came hastily from her seat, kneeled 
down by him, and besought him to kneel 
with her. He fell upon his knees, and that 
night the Lord removed his burden. Next 
night held meeting at J. V.'s — a number of us 
had collected, and I began to sing, " On Jor- 
dan's stormy banks I stand." I had not 
half finished the hymn when L. clapped 
his hands and said, " Glory to God ! my 
soul is happy." Then we all fell upon 
our knees, and I engaged in prayer. L. fell 
across my legs and lay there till I finished. 
Soon after I arose he got up and praised God. 
Brother T. caught him in his arms, and went 
around the room with him, leaping, and shout- 
ing, " Glory to God !" The next night, hav- 
ing understood that an Englishman and his 
wife at the factory were under convic- 
tion, I took Doctor C. with me, and went 
to their house. After we were seated, 
the woman went to the factory, and called 
her husband. When he came I began to 
sing, 44 Jesus sought me when a stranger." 



118 



A NARRATIVE OF 



After singing we all fell upon our knees, 
and I prayed. Boon the woman arose from her 
knees, and went about the room, exclaiming, 
" What is this ?" When I ceased praying, 
she came to me, saying, " Tell me what this 
means— I feel as I never felt before : all my 
distress is gone, I feel humble and happy. I 
told her God had blessed her, — and she shout- 
ed his praise. I prayed with her husband se- 
veral times, but he did not find peace till the 
next night. Here brother C. lost some of 
his prejudice against noise in religious exer- 
cises. I attended a protracted meeting at 
Pawlingstown. We had rather a dull time ; 
it was all preaching, and there was not much 
time for prayer-meetings. One or two expe- 
rienced religion. 

After this I went from Poughkeepsie to Al- 
bany, and crossed over the river to Green- 
bush, where I found a number of children in 
whose fathers' houses I had had many precious 
meetings. I got a chance to ride part of the 
way to a camp-meeting, the rest of the way I 
travelled on foot, and reached the camp just 
at sunset. It was on brother Budd's land, in 
Chatham. The meeting began well, and grew 
better every day during its continuance ; a 
number experienced religion. Here I found 
some friends, and a good time we had together. 
The preaching was excellent, and I was kept 
singing and praying pretty steadily as usual 
at camp-meetings, but it was thought good 
enough for Uncle Jimmy, as they called me, 



JAMES* P. HORTON. 



110 



young and old, white and black At the close 
of the meeting I felt greatly refreshed. I 
went home with brother C, and remained with 
him until the next Tuesday, when brother 
Budd took brother C. and myself in his wagon 
down to Schodiac, where we crossed over to 
New-Baltimore, and procured a wagon to take 
us to the camp-meeting held in that vicinity* 
When we arrived I was much fatigued with 
riding and walking ; I rested awhile and then 
went to work, and kept at it during the meet-' 
ing : brother Jewett presided. Here I met 
with some of my old friends with whom T had 
precious meetings twenty-five years ago it 
was a first rate camp^meeting to me. . They 
had me on the stand ; I prayed, exhorted, and 
told part of my experience, while some wept 
and others shouted. Here I met with some 
who informed me they were converted through 
the instrumentality of my poor labours in for- 
mer days. At this meeting a goodly number 
were converted, and some experienced the 
blessing of perfect love. When the camp- 
meeting broke up, the friends from Hudson 
made a prisoner of me ; put me on board 
their sloop and brought me to Hudson, where 
they kept me about two weeks. Brother 
Stillman was stationed there. I sent word to 
my family of my detention, and had many 
precious seasons with the friends in the city 
and some out in the country. After promis- 
ing to attend their camp-meeting in the fall, 
the friends in Hudson let me go, and I took 



120 



A NARRATIVE OF 



the steamboat to Poughkeepsie, and from 
thence went home. 

After this I went to Verbank, and the friends 
took me in their wagon to the Pine Plains 
camp-meeting. There the Lord was with us. 
We had a prayer-meeting one night in bro- 
ther C.'s tent. There J. V., who a short time 
before this was very much tried with his own 
wife and another person for shouting aloud, 
when they were very happy, was so filled with 
the love of God, that he clapped his hands, 
shouted aloud, and fell down on the ground, 
praising the Lord with all his might. My own 
soul was full to overflowing. I left him, and 
went from tent to tent, praying the Lord to 
scatter the holy fire ; and he heard, and 
answered my prayer. I went home with bro- 
ther B. of Hillsdale, and I remained in that 
neighbourhood about two weeks, holding 
meetings, and the Lord wrought with us, and 
souls were converted. 

I attended a quarterly meeting on Saturday : 
ihe presiding elder did not arrive in time to 
preach : a brother preached and I exhorted 
after him : it was a solemn time. The prayer- 
meeting in the evening was good, likewise the 
love-feast next morning. After the meeting 
broke up, brother B. C. took me in his wagon 
to brother Reed's, on the turnpike. Here in 
the evening I had my last meeting in that re- 
gion. Next morning we started for camp- 
meeting at Hudson. Brother Reed's wagon 
was full, so toward day I started on foot. 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



121 



After I had travelled three or four miles, a 
brother overtook me ; he looked at me and 
drove on. He might have taken me into his 
wagon : I think he would if he had had more 
religion. However, I travelled on, and felt 
very good natured. When 1 felt very tired 
I would sit down by the side of the road and 
rest. When I came in sight of Hudson, I 
turned off where they were making a new 
street ; two men were sitting in their wagon 
eating their dinner, so I sat down on the wa- 
gon tongue to rest ; pretty soon there came 
along a young man, who began to abuse the 
Methodists in a very profane manner. I told 
him what would be the consequence unless he 
repented. He then threatened to horsewhip 
me. I told him to put it on, if that would 
make him a better man, At this he became 
more enraged. So I left him in his rage, 
and went on crying and praying for the 
dear young man. When I had proceeded 
about a mile, the Hudson friends overtook me. 
I rode in the wagon to the camp ground. I 
was very tired, having walked about twenty- 
three miles without any refreshment ; so I 
lay down in the tent until the friends pre- 
pared some dinner ; after I had taken my din- 
ner I felt better ; I began to sing, and com- 
menced a prayer-meeting ; so they kept me 
going from place to place, old fashion, praying, 
singing, and exhorting. There was some 
difficulty with the wicked at this meeting ; 
they gave out threats, saying what they would 
11 



122 



A NARRATIVE OF 



do the last night ; but the Lord protected us ; 
there was no special harm done. Brother 
Jewett presided ; it was a good camp-meeting 
to my soul, and to many others ; a number ex- 
perienced religion. The friends gave me 
about five dollars. The Lord reward them. 
At the close of the meeting I took the steam- 
boat and went down the river to Poughkeep- 
sie, and travelled home on foot, 14 miles. 

After this, I attended camp-meeting at 
Rhinebeck. At that meeting my son Am- 
brose experienced religion. After the meet- 
ing closed, we went home together in the 
wagon. The first day we rode together was, 
I think, the happiest I ever saw. We had 
meeting that night at Salt Point, and a pre- 
cious season it was. Next day toward sun- 
down we arrived at home. There was prayer- 
meeting that night at the old meeting-house 
near Vincent in Swago : my son and I started, 
and by running a great part of the way, which 
was about four miles, we got there, and we 
had a great time : five experienced the par* 
doning love of God. I appointed a prayer- 
meeting for the next night at Jacob Snedi- 
ker's ; there my daughter Sophia experienced 
religion. Again we had a great time — there 
was the shout of a king in the camp — the God 
of love was with us, I was abundantly happy 
— two of my children having experienced reli- 
gion within a few days. 

After this, I moved from father Garrett- 
son's land; my son Ambrose removed to 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



123 



New-York, and I moved into a house be- 
longing to William Potter. In the fall I went 
down to New- York, and was there part of 
the winter. I attended a meeting in the old 
mission-house. Brother Chase preached, and 
I exhorted after him, and it was a good time. 

Again I attended a meeting in the school- 
house. The friends were in too much of a 
hurry to close the meeting : several were 
deeply awakened: I had observed one young 
woman during the meeting sitting just before 
me ; and as the people began to go out, I walk- 
ed toward her, and asked her if she wanted 
religion — she answered, "Yes." I said, "If 
you will kneel down, I will pray with you." 
She fell upon her knees, and I prayed for 
her, and she cried aloud for mercy. When I 
rose up I found that about twenty-five or thir- 
ty had stayed behind, and we kept up our 
meeting till the Lord converted eight or ten, 
and three or four experienced the blessing of 
perfect love. It was about two o'clock when 
we closed. I went with a number to the 
house of Tommy Evans, where we sung and 
prayed the remainder of the night. 

After this there was a watch-night in the 
neighbourhood of the Dry-dock — and it was 
a good time. The next evening we commenced 
prayer-meeting at four o'clock in the lecture 
room of the Willet-street church; I opened 
the meeting by singing and prayer. While at 
prayer showers of grace came upon me like a 
mighty flood. The brethren and sisters shout- 



124 



A NARRATIVE OF 



ed with the voice of thanksgiving and praise 
— sinners wept and trembled ; we invited 
mourners forward, and they came flocking to 
the altar — we would pray with them and the 
Lord would bless them. They would rise 
and praise God, and begin to exhort ; then 
we would invite others to come to the altar 
— and God would bless them, and so in a short 
time the Lord converted all that came to the 
altar. Brother Westfleld cried out, and said, 
44 Brother Horton, the stuff is all worked up, 
what shall we do ?" I said, 44 Let us pray 
the Lord to prepare more" — so we engaged 
in prayer that God would send conviction to 
the hearts of sinners. When we arose we 
gave another invitation for all that felt the 
need of salvation, to come and kneel at the 
altar, and we had no doubt that that God who 
had heard prayer, would hear prayer for them 
and bless them. Several came forward : bro- 
ther Westheld came to me and said, 44 Bro- 
ther Horton, the Lord has sent us more stuff, 
now let us go to my house, and get some re- 
freshment, and then return again to our 
work." So we went ; and at his house there 
were two young women, his wife's sister and 
niece. I said to them, 44 Have you been to 
meeting at Willet-street to night?" they said, 
44 No." I said, 44 The Lord have mercy on 
you ; if you had been there God would have 
blessed you ; now, my advice is, after we have 
taken a little refreshment, that you go with us 
to the church — go right up to the altar, and I 



I AMES P. HORTON. 



125 



have no doubt that God will bless you." 
They said, " Do you believe it ?" I answered, 
"Yes, with all my heart." So they went* 
and, according to my advice they both kneeled 
at the altar, and began to pray : and I don't 
think it was more than twenty minutes, 
before they both found Christ precious to 
their souls. We continued our meeting until 
nearly 11 o'clock, and there were twenty-five, 
I believe, soundly converted during the meet- 
ing. I never saw people get religion so easy 
as they did that night, except at Croton, when 
I stood by the big log all night. 

So they kept me at it while I stayed in the 
city — at prayer-meetings, class-meetings— 
and in the day-time visiting ; so that I did 
not get much sleep in the night ; and some- 
times when I lay down to catch a nap in the 
day-time, they would come and call for me to 
go and visit mourners, or sick persons, and 
pray with them. So they kept me moving, 
the Lord mercifully sustaining me by his 
grace, and giving me strength equal to my 
work. I led class one night, and it was a 
great time. A number lay overwhelmed with 
the glory of the Lord, so that when we closed 
our meeting, some had to be carried home* 
After this there was a prayer-meeting in the 
lecture room; the power of the Lord was pre- 
sent to kill and make alive: there was one 
young woman in a great struggle — the bre- 
thren were for closing the meeting. I tried to 
persuade them not to do so : I told them I had 
U* 



126 



A NARRATIVE OF 



strong faith that the Lord would convert that 
young woman : soon, however, they closed 
the meeting, So the sisters took her, and car- 
ried her out of the church toward home, and 
I followed* Just as they were crossing Pitt- 
street, the Lord smiled upon her— away went 
her burden, and she shouted, 44 Glory !" A 
watchman came running up and asked, 44 What 
is the mattei ?" I answered, 44 Why, the Lord 
has converted this young woman's soul, and 
like a little Christian, she gives glory to 
God." He turned, and ran away as if he was 
frightened. So in a little while, by the Lord's 
smiling, the sisters were eased of their load, 
the young woman walked with them, praising 
the Lord. There was a number experienced 
religion that night. 

Next I led class in an upper room in Divi- 
sion-street. As I examined the class, they 
spoke feelingly of the goodness of God to 
their souls. One young woman thanked God 
that her parents were Methodists, and if it 
were not for the Bible, and religion, and Me* 
thodism, this world would be to her a blank* 
She arrived in the city on the Saturday pre- 
vious, and had been but a short time in 
America* 

After this P. M. and I went over to Brook- 
lyn to an African love-feast, the first time I 
was ever in Brooklyn ; as soon as I went into 
the church the people knew me ; they invited 
me into the altar ; it was a very excellent love- 
feast ; a great many spoke very beautifully of 



James p. hoston. 



12? 



the mercy of God in Christ Jesus to their 
souls. After love-feast, they insisted that I 
should go into the pulpit and preach to them. 
So I crawled up, read my hymn, prayed, and 
gave out my text, and in my weak way began 
to explain. I had gone on but a little before 
the power of the Lord came down, and they 
began to shout and jump so that I could not 
be heard. I stood some time for them to 
get through, but they kept on, so I went down 
into the altar and took a turn with them ; we 
could not stay, as we had to be in New-York 
at a meeting there, so we left them in their 
gale. 

I remained in New- York two or three weeks 
after this ; had good times in meetings, and 
then left in a market wagon for White Plains. 
Had a number of good meetings with my old 
brethren ; visited my uncles and cousins, and 
then went to Northcastle and Bedford, and so 
on my way home on foot- — found all well. I 
attended quarterly and protracted meetings ; 
one in Smith's cove. Tarried with Warren 
Williams Saturday night. Bakeman Rosel 
lived in one part of the house ; his wife ex- 
perienced religion during the meeting, and I 
found out he was under conviction, so I went 
in to see him, and found the devil had made 
him believe there was no mercy for him ; his 
privileges had been so great, and the Spirit had 
striven with him so many times, that he said 
he should not go to meeting: I told him the 
darkest time was just before day, so I went 



128 



A NARRATIVE OF 



to prayer ; after that I told him he must go to 
meeting, and when an invitation was given, 
he must step right forward, and God would 
bless his soul. So he shaved himself and 
went, and when the invitation was given he 
was the first person to step forward, several 
more followed, and in a short time a number 
of them and he among them, found the bless- 
ing. Rosel and his wife continue to be worthy 
members. I attended a protracted meeting 
at Verbank ; we had a precious season ; a num- 
ber experienced religion* 

In the fall, before the river closed, I went 
to New-York, and was there and at Brooklyn 
most of the winter ; I made one or two trips 
on Long-Island. Tommy Evans and I went 
up to Huntington, on the Island, to brother 
Chichester's 5 we had an excellent meeting 
there. After that brother Samuel Halsted 
and I went to Hempstead and Rockaw r ay 5 we 
had a number of very good meetings. Re- 
turned to New-York ; there they kept me in 
the harness at prayer-meetings, class-meet- 
ings, speaking-meetings, visiting and praying 
with mourners and sick persons in Forsyth 
and Willet-street congregations. At Willet- 
street church I became acquainted with brother 
Lownsberry ; he took me home with him to 
his house ; I had occasion to step out at the 
door, and being a stranger, I stepped right off 
the platform and went down like a bag of 
feathers, rolling from step to step into the 
cellar way ; through the mercy and goodness 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



129 



of God it did not hurt me much. In family 
prayer the power of the Lord came down 
upon us, and one of the daughters fell to the 
floor; but O how she resisted the Spirit, she 
trembled, and cried and screamed, but I could 
not persuade her to say any thing ; we labour- 
ed with her until a late hour : that family 
were always very kind to me. The friends 
in Willet-street gave me a new cloak and hat, 
and some money ; may the Lord reward them. 
Brother Joseph Johnson was a very kind 
friend of mine. After that I rode up to the 
Plains with Robert Palmer, through a severe 
storm ; got to his house Saturday night. 
Next day we went to meeting in the church ; 
in the afternoon we went to William Fowler's ; 
there we had a good time. Brother Davis, 
who afterward moved to New-York, was at 
the meeting ; he was married the night before, 
himself and his wife were both awakened, and 
both came forward ; they did not find the 
blessing that night, but in a few days they 
were happy in God, and continued faithful 
until they were separated by the death of 
sister Davis. I was there soon after she died, 
and saw her a corpse ; they said she died 
triumphant. Brother Davis, I trust, is still 
holding on his way. I wrote a letter to my 
son-in-law to come down to the Plains with 
my horse and cutter ; but brother Smith 
Arnold came with it. While I was waiting 
for my horse and cutter, the friends found 
leather, and brother Davis made me a pair 



130 



A NARRATIVE OF 



of boots. The Lord reward them. The next 
summer I attended a camp-meeting at Paw- 
lingstown ; it was a good time ; a number found 
the Lord precious to their souls. I walked out 
one evening during the meeting, a little way 
in the woods ; I heard the wicked quarrelling ; 
I went to them, there were a hundred or more 
of them, they had a ring formed, and a couple 
of stout men were stripped to fight. I press- 
ed into the ring and began to exhort them ; 
they cooled down and gave it up. I saw one 
of them about a year afterward ; he thanked 
me for breaking up their design, as it had 
saved him from getting badly hurt, or he 
would have hurt the other man ; he said he 
had never forgot the exhortation, and it had 
been the means in the hands of the Lord of 
his conversion. Now, said he, I have got re- 
ligion, my wife also, and her sister. After- 
ward I held meeting at his house, and there 
were two that experienced religion. 

After this, I was at a camp-meeting at 
Middlebush ; it was an excellent time. I had 
been labouring until about twelve o'clock at 
night, was very much exhausted ; I went in- 
to a tent, threw myself down on the straw ; 
while I lay there resting me, I heard them in 
another tent praying with mourners. Old 
brother Arnold was there ; and after they had 
prayed, they began to sing in a very nice way, 
all fours, or by note, but they soon found it 
would not do to be so precise at camp-meet- 
ing if they wanted to have souls converted ; 



JAMES P. H0RT0N. 



131 



then brother Arnold began to sing in the little 
way, 44 Jesus my all to heaven is gone, Glory, 
glory, glory, halle, hallelujah !" and in this 
way of singing it began to produce effect upon 
the mourners. Next morning 1 met brother 
Arnold, and said to him I was pleased last 
night as I lay resting me to hear you try to 
operate in that big way, but when you found 
it would not do, then I heard a man begin to 
sing, 44 Glory, glory, glory, halle, hallelu- 
jah !" I concluded you had found that the little 
way was the best. 

I attended another camp-meeting at Low- 
point, in the town of Fishkill, and a glorious 
time it was to my soul. Quite a number ex- 
perienced religion during the meeting. Some 
time before this I attended a camp-meeting on 
brother Samuel Fowler's farm, two miles 
from Newburg, and there was a wonderful 
gust of wind in the time of meeting, but it was 
a good time: a goodly number found the 
Lord precious to their souls during the meet- 
ing. An awful occurrence took place at 
this meeting: two young women came with 
their friends from New-Paltz ; they were mem- 
bers of the Presbyterian Church. And there 
came a sloop, and anchored in the river. Two 
young men came ashore in their boat from 
the sloop, fastened the boat and came up to 
the camp-ground just before a gale of wind. 
Their boat lay dashing on the shore during 
the gale. These young men were the suitors 
and intended husbands of the young women, 



132 



A NARRATIVE OF 



The young men proposed to them to go down 
on board of the sloop. Old sister Marsh 
(with whom they came to the meeting) found 
it out, and she told them they ought not to 
go, and they must not go- — as they came to the 
meeting they ought to stay there until it clo- 
sed. They promised her they would not go. 
The young men, however, overpersuaded 
them, and they went, in violation of their pro- 
mise, down to the boat, and the four stepped 
in and shoved off. They had not gone more 
than halfway to the sloop, before they disco- 
vered that their boat was filling so fast that 
they could not reach the sloop : so they turn- 
ed and pulled for the shore. They had gone 
but a short distance back, before the boat 
filled. The young men succeeded, however, 
in turning the boat over, bottom upward, and 
the young women got on it : but the poor 
things were so frightened that they sprang 
and clenched the young men about the neck, 
and they all went down together. The young 
men said, they found they must all drown, 
and they broke loose from them, and swam 
ashore. I was in the tent when they came 
in, and told the sorrowful tale. The meeting 
broke up the next day. And the dear young 
women were found standing up in the water, 
clenched in each other's arms, cold in death. 
The young men felt very badly — they had lost 
their intended brides, through their own pre- 
sumptuous wickedness in persuading them 
to break their promise made to sister Marsh 7 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



133 



and leave the meeting. Young people, when 
you read this narrative, consider, have you 
ever done so ? It is to be feared that too 
many young people go to camp-meeting and 
other meetings to make associates, and form 
alliances — and have not God in their thoughts. 
To trifle with God and sacred things, O how 
awful ! The Lord have mercy on the dear 
young people. 

I will now relate another circumstance, in 
contrast with the last. There was a sloop 
coming from Newark on her way to the camp- 
meeting at Croton, and a heavy storm came 
on from the north-east. When near Sing- 
sing, the sloop upset in the fury of the gale* 
There were two sisters standing on the deck, 
and when the sloop went over, they were 
thrown into the river. Their clothes kept 
them from sinking — and when the sloop right- 
ed again, which it did in a short time, they 
were both thrown into the hold of the sloop ; 
yet through the mercy of God, they were not 
seriously injured. The hands finally succeed- 
ed in getting the sloop to the dock at Sing- 
sing, and the two sisters, with some others, 
chartered carriages, and came to the camp 
ground. I saw them when they came into 
a tent, with their wet clothes on. I asked 
them if they were not frightened when in the 
river — they answered, "No," — their souls 
were abundantly happy in the Lord. O the 
value of religion in times of trial! 

After this I had a dream. I dreamed that 
12 



134 



A NARRATIVE OF 



I was travelling from place to place, holding 
meetings. And I came to a handsome green 
plain. In the centre of it was a most beautiful 
spring. I looked at it : the water was so 
clear and beautiful, it was such as I had 
never seen before. The thought struck me 
that the angels came here to drink. I thought 
I would stand and see if any came. Suddenly 
I was surrounded with an innumerable com- 
pany of angels* I was in an ecstacy — abun- 
dantly happpy in their company. I thought 
we began to praise the Lord, and were so 
filled with his presence and glory, that we 
fell upon the green, and the heavens opened, 
and the Almighty spoke from his blazing 
throne, and said unto us, " Humility, Humi- 
lity !" I then had such a view of the gran- 
deur, and glory, and amiableness of the Lord 
Almighty, that language fails to describe it. 
I was so overwhelmed that I shouted, and 
waked myself up. I was so happy I could 
not contain myself ; I shouted with a loud 
shout, and waked up all my family. Some 
say there is nothing in dreams — I think other- 
wise. 

I have received many signal manifestations 
of the divine goodness in the course of my pil- 
grimage. About twenty-five years ago I was 
afflicted with a severe pain in my right side, 
so that I could not work at my trade more 
than part of the time. I would have to lie 
down several times in the course of the day. 
I was in great pain, and very sorely afflicted. 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



135 



In this condition I was walking slowly along 
the road one morning, and the glory of the 
Lord shone upon me, and around about me : 
and seemingly a voice spake unto me, and 
said, "Now if thou canst believe, thy side shall 
be healed." I said, " Lord, thou art the same 
yesterday, to-day, and for ever. Thou hast 
all power in heaven, and in earth, and I be- 
lieve thou art as able to heal me as thou wast 
to raise Lazarus from the grave and in that 
very moment, I felt the power of the Lord to 
heal me, as sensibly as lever felt the hand of 
a person upon any part of my body. My 
cure was instantaneous and perfect, and I 
have never been troubled with it since. Glo- 
ry be to God for his goodness. 

Again, a few years ago, I was much afflict- 
ed in my head — I thought I would go to 
New-York, as I was not able to pay a phy- 
sician, and see if Dr. Reese or some other of 
my medical brethren there would not take 
pity upon me, and do something for me. I 
arrived in New-York on sabbath morning, 
and went to my son's. Not having slept any 
on board the boat, my head felt very badly, 
so I did not go to meeting in the forenoon. 
In the afternoon I went to Allen-street church : 
took a seat near the door. I did not know 
that any of my brethren saw me. I thought 
perhaps they would want me to go into the 
altar, and I felt as though I could never labour 
any more. It was in the time of their protract- 
ed meeting. When the sermon closed, some 



136 



A NARRATIVE OF 



brethren who had seen me came to me, and 
said I must go into the altar. So I went and 
engaged in prayer, and soon felt better. In 
the evening at the prayer-meeting after ser- 
mon, while I was at prayer, the Lord healed 
me throughout soul and body. I was never 
more healthy in all my life than I was all 
through the following winter — there were but 
eight nights through the whole winter that I 
was not in meeting. In New-York and Brook- 
lyn I attended in different places. In Duane- 
street I had a number of very excellent class- 
meetings. In Forsyth-street a number of good 
prayer-meetings, and some very precious Sa- 
turday night speaking-meetings. The friends 
at Duane-street were very kind to "Uncle 
Jimmy." They gave me a new suit of 
clothes, and a new hat. May the Lord give 
each of them a robe of glory in the great day 
of rewards. Thus the Lord has dealt with 
me ever since I espoused his glorious cause. 
When he has taken away one friend, he has 
raised up others to supply their place, and 
administer to my wants. 

In the spring I returned home from New- 
York, found all well, stayed at home, work- 
ed what I could, had good meetings around 
the country until summer — then I went to 
New- York again. Brother James Lloyd, and 
some others, and myself went to a camp- 
meeting ten miles west of Newark, in the 
state of New-Jersey. We arrived there and 
got our tent up about sun-down. We had a 



JAMES P. HORTON* 



137 



very good prayer-meeting in the tent that 
evening. The next morning after breakfast 
we commenced a prayer-meeting outside the 
tent; the preacher in charge was for having a 
select meeting. He called on one and then 
another to pray. I stood it as long as I could, 
then I jumped up and told them I had been to 
a great many camp-meetings, but this was not 
the way. Camp-meetings were designed to 
bring out the gifts of the church. The 
preacher wheeled around and went off. Af- 
ter that we had a good time — the power of 
the Lord came down, some fell, others shout- 
ed. I got into a gale, and began jumping; 
after that I fell, and there was an old man 
there nearly eighty years of age. Seeing me 
jump, an aged and heavy man as I was — and 
afterward seeing me under the influence of the 
Holy Spirit, he became convinced that there 
was something in the Christian religion with 
which he was not acquainted ; and from that 
time he earnestly sought the Lord, and soon 
found him to the joy of his soul. I saw his son 
about two weeks after at the camp-meeting at 
New-Brunswick. He informed me that his 
father was very happy, and requested him to 
say to me that if he never saw me any more 
in this world, he hoped to meet me in heaven. 
We had no more select meetings at our camp- 
meeting. It was a profitable time — quite a 
number experienced religion. I met with two 
young men who were circuit preachers, bro- 
ther Felch, and brother Janes, that a few 
12* 



138 



A NARRATIVE OF 



years ago were school teach ers in Dutchess 
county. There were some friends from New- 
Brunswick that insisted upon my coming to 
their meeting ; they said it should cost me 
nothing ; so I had to promise them I would 
come. I went at the time, and we had a gra- 
cious season : quite a number found the Lord. 
Here I formed an acquaintance with brother 
Collins, an old superannuated preacher. Af- 
ter the meeting broke up he came along, with 
his saddlebags on his arm, and took me by 
the hand, and said, " Well, brother Horton. we 
have had one good meeting together — but it is 
not very likely that we shall have any more, 
or that we shall meet again in this world." 
He requested me to pi ay for him, which I 
promised him I would do by the grace of God 
— and I desired to be remembered by him 
at a throne of grace. So we shook hands 
and parted. Soon after that, I heard he was 
killed at a camp-meeting. 

I returned to New-York. And the next 
camp-meeting I attended was one appointed 
by brother Maffitt, in the town of Greensburg, 
on old brother Tompkins' land. There were 
three tents on the ground. I went up the day 
before the meeting commenced, and stayed 
over night with Robert Palmer. He lived in 
part of brother Falconer's house. Before I 
started for the camp ground in the morning I 
went in to see the old man, who was on his 
death-bed. He kneeled in his bed, and for 
the last time attended family prayer. I bade 



JAMSS P. HORTON* 139 

I 

him farewell. About 1 o'clock that day he 
took his flight to paradise. I have had a great 
many excellent meetings in the old man's 
house within the last thirty-five years. The 
camp-meeting commenced favourably, and it 
was a wonderfully good meeting to my soul. 
One night we all got into one tent, and there 

v , we sang and prayed, and praised the Lord all 
night, and it did really seem as if the Lord 
would bless us to death. At this meeting I 

y became acquainted with John Hadden from 
Bedford-st., N. Y. He told me if I would 
come down there he would keep me a year, and 
it should not cost me any thing. A poor sin- 
ner from New- York, who was under deep 
conviction, kept following me about, asking 
me to pray for him. I did so several times — • 
at length the Lord heard prayer in his behalf, 
and converted his soul. I saw him last fall, 
and he is still faithful. After th« meeting 
broke up I went home with John Hatfield's 
son. There I found Azariah Horton. I be- 
gan to sing — his daughter came in with a pail 
of milk — the power of the Lord came upon 
her, and I had to stop singing she could not 
strain her milk. We had an excellent time 
in family prayer. Next night had meeting at 
Jesse Seymour's. It was a good meeting. 
Next day I went to the Plains, and from 
thence to Abraham Miller's. Had meeting 
at Joseph Hatfield's. Little brother Webb 
was with me — I had an excellent time in 
speaking. After the people went away w<e 



140 A NARRATIVE OF 

had supper — and then we had an excellent 
time in the little family prayer-meeting. I 
retired to rest about 12 o'clock. I had been 
in bed but a short time, before I was called up 
to pray for some members of the family, who 
were under great exercise of mind. Soon af- 
ter I began to pray, the power of the Lord 
came down, and three of them fell to the floor. 
After prayer I arose and began to sing. Pre- 
sently one after another rose and praised the 
Lord, and like angels of mercy filled with 
perfect love, they flew into the other room, 
where their father lay on his sick bed — clap- 
ping their hands, they cried out, " O father, 
now the Lord has sanctified our souls, and 
now we shall meet you in glory." The 
whole house appeared to be full of glory. I 
believe brother Webb experienced the bless- 
ing of perfect love that night. I did not sleep 
a wink. 

The next camp-meeting I attended was at 
Hempstead Harbour : it was a great and good 
meeting. Elisha Crawford and some others 
came over from White Plains, and would 
take me right off with them to hold meetings 
in their neighbourhood ; I told them I would 
not go, that my things were in New-York, and 
I must go there ; the only way I could get 
clear of them was to agree to be there such a 
day, and they were to have appointments 
given out for me. The morning that camp- 
meeting broke up there was an invitation 
given for all tli3t had experienced religion 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



141 



during the meeting to come forward before 
the stand. About one hundred came, and 
they said that about sixty had left the day 
before in a sloop for Connecticut. 

After the meeting closed, I went to Brook- 
lyn and New-York, and stayed until the day 
came that I was to be at Greensburg. I 
packed up my things and went on board a 
Peekskill boat, and was landed at Dobb's 
Ferry, and walked out to brother Vincent's. 
That night I went to fill one of the appoint- 
ments ; it was not a very extraordinary time. 
On our way back, we saw the light of the 
Dry-dock sawmill that was burned. I stayed in 
that neighbourhood holding meetings — had 
some very good ones ; the last one I held was 
at the house of brother Tompkins ; the weather 
was very warm, and I thought they would use 
me up if I did not get away, so after meeting 
I slipped out and went over to brother Vin- 
cent's. Next morning he took me in his wa- 
gon down to Dobb's Ferry ; there I took the 
Peekskill boat and was landed at Caldwell's, 
calculating to take a night boat up the river; 
but when the boats came along they were 
racing, and did not stop, and I had to stay un- 
til the next day. While I was waiting in the 
forenoon, there were some young men dan- 
cing around, who were very careless and tri- 
fling, and the landlord seemed to be pleased 
with it ; so I began to exhort them, and they 
cooled right down, and there was no more 
dancing or singing while I stayed. When I 



142 



A NARRATIVE OF 



came to leave, the landlord was very kind and 
gave me an invitation to call on him whenever 
I came to that place. I took the day boat 
and went up to Poughkeepsie, and then went 
home, where I found all well. Stayed at home 
two weeks and then started for Croton camp- 
meeting, which continued eight days. The 
people did not seem to get in the spirit of 
the work until toward the last of the meeting ; 
then it went on well. Brother Waugh (now 
Bishop Waugh) preached a very powerful 
sermon; old brother Ferguson was over- 
whelmed with the powers of the world to 
come, and so filled with the wine of the king- 
dom that we had to lead him to his tent. No 
doubt the Lord sanctified his soul at that time. 
He hardly dare own it, still he felt such a 
constant peace and serenity of mind such as 
he never had enjoyed before. I was with him 
most of the time during his last sickness. In 
the morning of the day that he died, I went 
into his room after breakfast, and looking at 
him as he sat in his chair, I said to him, " Bro- 
ther Ferguson, the impression of my mind is, 
that you will get home before the going down 
of the sun." He looked up and smiled and 
said, " Brother Horton, it has also been my 
impression that I should get to that happy 
place before night ;" and as I sat looking at 
him I saw that he was sinking away, and the 
glory of the Lord came down, and it seemed 
as if the room was full of angels ; I said, 
" Brother Ferguson, the chariot has come for 



JAMES P. HORTON. 143 

you he paid no attention, I spoke loud, 
" The chariot has come for you still he paid 
no attention. I let him sit as- long as I dare. 
I then laid him on the bed — he soon changed 
worlds. He was a blessed man ; I do not know 
that I ever knew a man that possessed more 
of the spirit of brotherly kindness and charity 
than he did ; he was a class-leader more than 
forty years. 

My brethren advised me to buy a little place 
in the neighbourhood where I lived that was 
offered for sale, as they thought cheap ; and 
as I had spent a great deal of time labouring 
in the vineyard of the Lord, and had many 
friends, they thought I might get enough to 
pay for it with what we had, which was about 
seventy dollars. So they wrote the subscrip- 
tion paper, and I started on a begging tour ; 
I went first to Poughkeepsie ; brother Nichols 
gave me a dollar, and in all I got about ten 
dollars there. Next I went to New-York ; 
there had been so many beggars there before 
me, and more still coming, that I hardly dare 
open my mouth ; some few friends gave me 
five, some three, and others one dollar. I 
went over to Brooklyn, and the friends were 
very good to me, and gave me in all more 
than sixty dollars. I sent it home and went to 
camp-meeting at Hempstead ; there I got three 
dollars, and they kept me labouring day and 
night ; the Lord gave me strength both of body 
and soul. Brothers Lemuel Green, John De- 
veau, John Ludlow and myself put up at a 



144 



A NARRATIVE OF 



house a short distance from the ground ; we 
had a good time in our family prayer-meet- 
ings. There were two young men who came 
in a carriage from Harlaem and brought their 
sister with them; they put up at the same hous€ ; 
the young woman was powerfully awakened ; 
she wanted her brothers to go home and let 
her stay ; they went out to tackle their horse, 
and the brethren started for the camp ground* 
I went in the other room after my hat and 
cloak, and the young woman was sitting there 
weeping ; I told her to kneel down and unite 
with me in prayer, and the Lord would bless 
her ; so she fell upon her knees, and I began 
to pray for her ; the brethren heard me and 
they came back, and it was but a few minutes 
before she praised the Lord. Her brothers 
were much displeased, but some of the breth- 
ren told them their sister was happy, and was 
willing to go home with them ; she insisted I 
must come to Harlaem ; she told me her name 
and residence, but I hare forgotten them. 
Then we started to the camp to have a fare- 
well prayer-meeting, the ground and straw all 
wet; there had been a shower just at day ; I 
went from tent to tent and asked liberty to 
have a prayer-meeting, the people were pack- 
ing up to leave the ground ; at length I came 
to a tent and inquired ; the woman said they 
wanted to have a select prayei -meeting ; I 
began to sing, others joined me, then I prayed, 
my brethren followed, we had a good time ; 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



145 



I understood the people that owned the tent 
were from John-street. 

From this meeting I went with brother 
Lemuel Green and some others to Longbranch 
to camp-meeting ; brother Green paid my ex- 
penses. I believe we should have had a good 
time had it not been showery every night. 
There was no public tent in which we could 
hold prayer meeting, and the preacher in 
charge would not allow us to have prayer- 
meeting in the family tents ; we had good 
preaching. 

While I was in Brooklyn, I prevailed on 
J. Mosier's son Joseph to go to camp-meet- 
ing ; I told him I had no doubt that if he 
would go praying, and, when there, enter into 
prayer-meetings, that God would bless his soul 
and give him religion, and he would come home 
happy. He went, and one day while in the 
Brooklyn tent he cried to the Lord for mercy, 
and got in a wonderful struggle for salvation, 
so that it required three or four men to hold 
him ; after a long time, while we were in prayer 
to God for him, the Lord blessed him, and he 
began to shout, Glory ! But that night he fell 
in with the old deceiver, and he reasoned him 
out of it ; the next day he got into another 
struggle, and for about an hour I thought I 
never saw a person more severely handled by 
the devil ; but after praying and wrestling 
with the Lord, he graciously manifested his 
power to save. The young man lay some 
13 



A NARRATIVE OF 



time as if he were dead, and when his strength 
returned, he praised the Lord for the wonder- 
ful manifestation of his goodness to his soul. 
After the camp-meeting erased, he came and 
gave me a dollar and said, " If I never see 
you again in this world, I am determined by 
the grace of God to meet you in heaven so 
I bade him an affectionate farewell, and we 
parted ; it was but a short time before the 
Master called for him, and he went triumph- 
antly home to Jesus. 

One night I was at a meeting in Sand-street 
church, Brooklyn ; brother S. Luckey preach- 
ed from the subject of the young man that came 
to Jesus, and asked what good thing he must 
do to inherit eternal life. After the sermon 
I went into the altar, and told the people if 
there were any in the congregation that felt 
the need of salvation, if they would come to 
the altar we would pray for them. One wo- 
man sitting near the door rose and started to 
come ; she walked part of the way quite fast, 
she then ran with all her might, and with a 
piercing scream fell to the floor. Shortly af- 
ter, her husband came to her and tried to get 
her away, but she said, " You had better kneel 
down here and pray to God, and let me be, 
for I came here to-night on purpose to get re- 
ligion, and I will have it;" with that he fell 
upon his knees, and we prayed with them and 
sung, and shortly the Lord blessed the woman : 
she went home praising God. On Monday 
afternoon her husband found salvation: he 



JAMES P. H0RT0N. 



was a sea captain. On Tuesday night we had 
prayer meeting in the school room ; the cap- 
tain and his wife came and brought his sister 
with them, and she experienced religion ; 
then all threer rejoiced together in the Lord. 

After this I went to camp-meeting at Hemp- 
stead Harbour, and it was a gracious time, es- 
pecially the last night, when I believe a num- 
ber found the blessing of perfect love. I re- 
turned to Brooklyn with my friends, and had 
a number of precious meetings with them : the 
good Lord was always present with us. The 
brethren at Brooklyn always treated me with 
the greatest kindness : they gave me the best 
while at their houses and while at camp-meet- 
ing, and I kept at my work singing and pray- 
ing, and that was good enough for me. After 
this I came to New-York, and had a number of 
happy meetings at Bedford-street church. 

I stayed in the city until the camp-meeting 
at Singsing. We had an excellent time of 
it. Brother Copeland was there from Roches- 
ter. He preached, and the power of the 
Lord was manifested under the word in a 
wonderful manner. After the camp-meeting 
closed, I returned to Brooklyn and New- York, 
and then started for camp-meeting at Long 
Branch. After the camp-meeting I went on 
board a boat, and proceeded to New-Windsor. 
There I got some cake and cheese, and then 
walked to Newburgh — and got on board a little 
Dutchess county steamboat, and put up all night 
m Poughkeepsie. Next day I walked home* 



148 



A NARRATIVE OF 



and found my family all well — and that I had 
money enough, with hiring two hundred dol- 
lars, to pay for my little place — my good bre- 
thren gave me one hundred and thirty dollars 
toward it. In the spring my son took a 
farm to w r ork on shares. After he sold his 
grain, he took up the note for one hundred 
dollars. I w r ent to digging my potatoes, and 
settling things so that I could get to New- 
York before the river closed. Accordingly I 
came to New-York, and attended a protract- 
ed meeting in Eighteenth-street : ^a number 
professed religion. One young woman expe- 
rienced religion, but she reasoned with the 
devil, and he made her believe she was de- 
ceived, and she got into a state of despon- 
dency. Brother Merritt took me home with 
him to tea, and this young woman was there. 
After tea I went to prayer. The young wo- 
man fell under the power of God. and so re- 
mained until the next day. When she came 
to, she shouted the praises of God, and was 
happy in her soul. I then went over to my 
daughter in Clinton-street, and found they 
had a protracted meeting at Willet-street. 
So I thought I would go and see, and help 
them a couple of nights : but when I went 
there was a wonderful work going on. They 
made a prisoner of me, would not let me 
leave, but kept me at it night and day. I 
stayed with brother B. Hibbard. There I was 
accommodated with a nice little room and bed. 
Sister Hibbard m as remarkably kind to me. 



JAMES P. H0RT0N. 



149 



Brother George and I visited in the day-time 
five or six families — had prayer-meeting 
with them, and sung some of the songs of 
Zion ; and so they kept me at it. I visited a 
sick sister, in Delancy-street, and prayed 
with her. The burden of my prayer was, 
that the Lord would sanctify her soul, and 
prepare her for the heavenly inheritance, and 
that afternoon the Lord cut short his work in 
righteousness. I visited her a number of 
times afterward, and prayed with her ; and 
always left her happy. We had a great and 
glorious time in the Willet-street church. 
Some thought there were as many as three 
hundred souls converted during the meeting. 
One night a young lady came to the meeting 
— the mourners made such a noise, and the 
people shouted so, that she was greatly of- 
fended : and rising up from her seat, she 
went off in a passion. The next night she 
went to the Mariner's church, and there they 
had fixed benches for the mourners to kneel 
at. She thought, as she said, she would see 
who would be the first fool to kneel at the 
bench. The Lord met her there by the pow- 
er of his Spirit, and she was the first one 
that went forward — and there she found 
peace in believing. The next night she came 
to Willet-street church, and the altar was 
filled with mourners, and there was full as 
much noise as there was when she became of- 
fended. But it gave no offence to her now* 
■She got among the mourners* and encouraged 
13* 



150 



A NARRATIVE OF 



them to be engaged in seeking religion, 
The last meeting I attended there was in 
the basement. There was a young woman 
who had attended a protracted meeting in the 
Presbyterian Church : they told her she had a 
hope, and that all she had to do now was to 
go on and do her duty, &c. But she was not 
satisfied with a mere hope, and thought she 
would come among the Methodists and see if 
she could not obtain the knowledge of salva- 
tion by the remission of sins. So while we 
were singing and praying, God Almighty- 
converted her soul, and made her happy in 
his love, I said to her, " Sister, this is bet- 
ter than your hope of religion !" "Yes," she 
said, "Glorv to God ! I am as happy as I can 
live." 

On Saturday night I went up to the Second- 
street church. There we had a speaking 
meeting. I opened the meeting, and one who 
had been a Baptist minister closed with sing- 
ing and prayer. I saw him afterward in Pearl- 
street, and had a talk with him. He told me 
thatin reading the Scriptures he had perceiv- 
ed there was a greater blessing for him than 
he had as yet enjoyed, and he immediately set 
out to seek it, and soon found it. He said he 
immediately began to preach it to his congre- 
gation. The church rose up against him : he 
told them if they committed sin, they were of 
the devil, and could not be Christians. They 
disowned him, and he joined the Methodists, 

On Monday a gentleman who was at the 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



151 



Saturday night meeting, was so pleased with 
it that he sent me ten dollars, After that my 
daughter-in-law died, and I believe made a 
happy end ; she left her husband and six chil- 
dren to mourn their loss* I then went with a 
brother to a protracted meeting at the Bow- 
ery village church, where a number obtained 
religion. After meeting I went home with 
old sister Hibbard, and as the brother above- 
mentioned and I walked along, he asked me 
about my circumstances. I told him I was 
poor — that my son and I had bought a house, 
and an acre of land, and were owing a hun- 
dred dollars on it. He said, " Why did you 
not let us know about it?" I told him that 
the times were so hard, and there were so 
many beggars coming to New-York, that I 
felt for the brethren : the friends at Willet- 
street had been very kind to me, had given 
me a new cloak and hat I told them it was 
almost too good for me. 

After this I went up to my son's, who had 
just come home from the country, and I learned 
that my family and friends were all well. That 
day I intended to start for home with the after- 
noon boat, so I bade them farewell, and went 
down to brother Hadden's. Just as they were 
going to dinner, there came a little boy in, 
and said that the brother before named had 
sent him to request me to be at his house by 
two o'clock, and that I must not fail to be 
there. I concluded that there must be some- 
thing more than common, and therefore I 



152 



A NARRATIVE OF 



would go though it was so far out of my wav : 
When I came to his house he said, "Brother 
Horton, here is a check that your friend who 
gave you ten dollars has put in my hands for 
you." He asked me if I had received any 
thing toward paying what I owed on my 
place. I told him I had by one friend and 
another obtained twenty dollars toward it ; 
M Well," says he, " give me fifteen of it ;" so I 
gave it to him, and he gave me a check on the 
bank for one hundred dollars ; so I started 
to the bank : my heart was so full to think how 
good the Lord was. and how kind the brethren 
were, to such a poor creature, that I cried as 
I went along. I presented the check at the 
bank, and they gave me a one hundred dollar 
bill. I put it in my pocket book and went 
back to the brother's, and showed him the bill ; 
he looked at it and said it was good ; his wife 
saw that my pocket book was old and poor, 
and said, " Brother Horton, I will give you a 
better one ;" so she gave me a good one and 
put my money into it, and I thanked them. I 
then took my farewell, and started for the boat 
to go home. That night while we were in 
Haversack bay, the ice met us in a terrible 
manner. I think there were a number on board 
who thought they would never see their home, 
the boat seemed as if she would be staved to 
pieces every minute almost ; the Dewitt Clin- 
ton was ahead of us : and had to put into har- 
bour ; but our captain kept his course, and 
pushed or rather ploughed his way through. 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



153 



the ice coming thicker and heavier until we 
came within three miles of Poughkeepsie, 
when we got clear of it. We arrived at the 
landing about an hour after sunrise; toward 
night that day, I got a chance to ride home 
w T ith James Vail. I got home about two 
o'clock, and found my family well. I went to 
work on my place and continued until July, 
when two brothers came in a wagon and in- 
sisted on my going with them to a place called 
" The TwoPartners." I told them I calculated 
to start for New-York to attend camp-meeting 
at Hempstead on the 7th of August ; they 
said if I would go with them they would carry 
me to the river, and pay my passage to New- 
York; sol took my clothes and went with 
them, and there we had some good meetings. 
Held a meeting on the old battle-ground at 
Mount Ross, and it was a gracious time ; there 
were many wet eyes in the congregation. I 
told the brethren that the Lord was about to 
revive his work there, and that they must keep 
up their meetings. In the afternoon we went 
and heard brother Stout at Pine Plains ; he 
baptized a number of persons by immersion ; 
then we came to brother Tallman's. The next 
sabbath I held a meeting at brother Huston's. 
I heard that my daughter and son-in-law had 
come home from New-York, so I told the 
brethren I must go home. When I arrived 
at home T went to work and did up my little 
jobs, and on Saturday morning I started for 
New-York ; arrived safe. Brother G. Hibbard 



154 



A. NARRATIVE OF 



gave me a ticket, and on Monday morning I 
went on board the steamboat and started for 
camp-meeting. We had a good meeting, 
though there were but few that obtained re- 
ligion, considering the number that weie pre- 
sent ; it was supposed that thirty souls were 
converted; it was a very precious time to my 
soul. I returned to Brooklyn ; had many 
precious seasons there with the brethren in 
class and prayer-meeting. Brother W. Cornell 
insisted that I must go to camp-meeting at 
Bridgeport, eight miles from the landing ; so 
I had to consent. We put the tents and all 
the apparatus on board the steamboat, and he 
gave me money to pay my fare, and said there 
would be wagons there to carry me and the 
tents, &c, to the camp-ground ; but when we 
arrived, there were no wagons, but a good bro- 
ther with an ox team was there, so I got him 
to take all on board, and we started. I 
walked four miles : the weather was very warm 
and I became very tired ; hadr^o dinner. I 
stopped at a house to get a drink of water, 
and smoke my pipe. After I had rested 
awhile, I asked the woman if she would let 
me have some bread and cheese, so she put 
victuals on the table. I took some and felt bet- 
ter. She would take no pay for it, so I ex- 
horted her to seek religion, and said it would 
make her happy ; she thanked me, and I took 
my leave. I told the brother that had the 
team that I could walk no further, so I got on 
the load, and as we jogged along I sung him 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



a number of hymns as he walked by the load, 
A little after sun-down we arrived at the camp- 
ground and unloaded the wagon. I put up at 
brother Bennet's all night : they were very 
glad to see me, and treated me very kindly. 
We had an excellent camp-meeting ; brother 
S. Halstead, brother Mann, and brother Hal- 
lock, from New-York, were there. Twenty- 
five or thirty souls were converted at the 
meeting ; after it broke up, the brethren car- 
ried us to the landing, and we started for 
Norwalk. Brother Charles Carter came on 
board, and insisted that brother Halstead and 
I, should come up to their protracted meeting, 
to commence on the 2d day of October. I 
told him I could not promise.- We started 
then for the city, and arrived at Brooklyn ; 
stayed some time and visited friends there, 
and then went to New-York ; visited my chil- 
dren ; had a good time in leading brother 
Odell's class ; stayed all night with him ; had 
a pleasant time around the family altar ^ then 
went to my son's, and on sabbath went to meet- 
ing at the Forty-first- street church. After ser- 
vice I led class, and the Lord was with us ; 
then I went to Bedford-street, and led brother 
Hadden's class, where I met with the friend 
who gave me the check for $100. I spoke to 
him, and he arose and told some of the ex- 
ercises of his mind. I told him to hold on, 
that God would surely bless him. Since that, 
I received a letter from him informing me 
that he had found the Lord.^ 



156 



A NARRATIVE OF 



On the 4th of September, brother J. Had- 
den gave me a ticket, and I went on board 
for Singsing camp-meeting ; walked up from 
the landing to camp-ground ; the friends 
would ask me why I did not ride. I told them 
a penny saved was as good as one earned. At 
this meeting the sailors had a tent, and they 
soon had it up and hoisted the Bethel flag, 
and they came to me and wished me to dedi- 
cate their chapel, as they called it ; so I went : 
we sung a hymn, and I went to prayer, and 
the power of God came down upon the people. 
The work of the Lord commenced in this tent, 
and continued all through the meeting ; there 
were about sixty souls happily converted in it 
during the camp-meeting. We had wonder- 
fully good times in the Singsing and Bedford- 
street tents : there were a number that found 
the blessing of perfect love ; we had great 
times in the Greenburg tent also ; there were 
a number of persons in that tent who ex- 
perienced religion. Glory to God in the 
highest! 

An old Baptist man and his wife were at 
the camp-meeting held the year before ; while 
at that meeting the old lady fell under the 
power of God, and lay as one dead ; her hus- 
band verily thought she was dead ; he was in 
great trouble about it, but directly she came 
to, and shouted, Glory to God ! She said 
the Lord had sanctified her soul, and she was 
very happy. After this she joined the Metho- 
dist Church, and the old man still remained a 



JAMES P» HORTON. 



157 



Baptist, and opposed her on account of join- 
ing the Methodists ; but she was determined 
to come to camp-meeting again, and so the 
old man came along to see that the Methodists 
did not kill his wife again. They were in the 
Greenburg tent, and brother Scudder and my- 
self were there and had prayer-meeting ; and, 
glory to God ! we had a good time, showers of 
grace, and floods of glory, came pouring 
down, and away went the old Baptist man flat 
upon the ground, and some others with him. 
At this time the horn blew to call the people 
to preaching, so we had to repair to the stand 
and leave the old man in the care of his wife ; 
by and by he came too, and began to praise 
the Lord for the wonderful manifestations of 
his love and mercy; he then acknowledged 
how he had persecuted his wife, and how mad 
it made him when she fell, and as he thought 
was killed by the Methodists ; he said he could 
have taken J. C.'s life, for he was the cause 
of her coming to the camp-meeting. " But 
now," says he, " I love him and all man- 
kind, and I mean to unite with my wife, and 
by the grace of God go to glory." It was an 
old-fashion kind of camp-meeting : there were 
not so many lady and gentlemen Methodists 
there as there are sometimes, but all seemed 
to be in the Spirit, and were at work in the 
cause ; many experienced religion, and many 
professed to be sanctified to the Master's use. 
They kept me moving from one place to ano- 
ther, singing and praying, and so it went all 
14 



158 



A NARRATIVE OF 



through the meeting. The last morning be- 
fore we came away, I went down to the Bed- 
ford-street tent, and there it was again, " Come, 
Uncle Jimmy, sing for us ;" so I sung one 
hymn, and the people came pouring in, and 
then it was, " Brother Horton, sing another 
and so they kept me at it for two hours sing- 
ing, talking, and praying, the Lord all the time 
filling my soul to the very brim ; then I went 
to bid my Poughkeepsie friends farewell, but 
I had been detained so long that when I got 
there the people and tents were all gone, so 
I saw none of them ; when I came back bro- 
ther Cox gave me six dollars, said he did not 
think of it in time before the people went 
away, or he could have got much more for 
me : I thanked him, it would help me very much. 
After I got to New-York, brother Hadden told 
me there was a sailor brother had some money 
for me, and I must call in Cherry-street and 
get it. I went, and found his house and had 
an extraordinary time in prayer with him. 

After staying a few days, visiting around 
among the brethren and attending meetings in 
New-York, I started and went to Norwalk, 
to attend the protracted meeting, to which I 
had been invited by brother Carter. When 
I arrived at the landing I inquired for Mr. 
Carter, but could find no body that knew him ; 
I then inquired if there were any Methodists 
in the village, " Yes," they said, " in that large 
white house lives Mr. Day, who is a Metho- 
dist so I went to the house and went in r 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



159 



and said to him, "Are you a Methodist?" He 
said, 44 1 used to be one." "Why," said I, 44 are 
you not one now?" He thought I was an 
impostor, but while I was talking to him, a 
sister came out of another room, who knew me, 
and said, 44 Why, Uncle Jimmy, is that you?" 
I said, 44 Where did you ever knaw me ;" 
she said, 44 1 used to live with John Smith at 
the Plains. I have heard you a number of 
times." Then brother Day said, 44 1 have 
heard of you often, but I never saw you be- 
fore. I had an idea that you were a tall slim 
man." So the old lady got dinner. After 
which I sung for them, and felt at home ; 
took a walk around and viewed the place ; 
stayed all night with them and had a sweet time 
in family prayer, then went and visited their 
daughter that was sick ; sung and prayed with 
her, and retired to bed happy in the Lord, and 
had a good night's rest. After breakfast 
in the morning I went to see the preacher, 
with whom I had been acquainted for 
some years. From him I learned that the 
meeting was to be held at New-Canaan, about 
eight miles from Norwalk. The stage did not 
go out till the afternoon, so I waited for it 
and went to the upper village. The driver 
stopped and went into a tavern, and stayed so 
long that I got out and procured a paper of 
tobacco; when I came back to the stage, two 
young men stood talking. I concluded they 
were clergymen of some order ; one said he 
was going to New-Canaan. I asked him if he 



160 



A NARRATIVE OF 



knew any Methodists there : he said he believed 
there were some there : he had lived but a 
short time in the place, and was not much ac- 
quainted there. "Why," said he, "are you 
a Methodist ?" I said, Yes, " from the crown 
of my head to the soles of my feet." He said 
he was^orry for that: he had rather I had 
been an Episcopalian, so we got into the stage 
and went on. He said he thought he could 
work me over. I told him I thought that 
w T ould be a hard job for him. He told me 
that he was an Episcopal clergyman, and had 
a church in New-Canaan, where he preached. 
I said to him, I thought their clergymen read 
sermons . to their congregations. I told him 
that kind of preaching made the devil very 
mad. Once when a number of wicked fellows 
got hold of St. Paul's old scrips and were 
going to cast the devil out of a man, they read 
and read away out of the old scrip till it made 
the devil so mad to think that they should 
undertake to impose on him in that way, as if 
he did not know that reading was not preach- 
ing, and the old fellow leaped on them and 
tore all their clothes off, and they had to run 
for their lives. He said, " That is just the way 
I want to preach, to make the devil so mad as 
to drive him out of the house." He asked 
me if I were a preacher. I told him I talked 
to the people: they might call it preaching, or 
exhorting, or talking, it made no difference to 
me. I said, " I have been in this business 
nearly forty years." I asked him how long 



JAMES P. ttORTON. 



181 



it was since he had experienced religion, but 
he could not seem to understand my meaning, 
I asked him how long it had been since the 
love of God was shed abroad in his heart ; but 
he did not understand me yet. 80 I told him 
St. Paul said : " Patience worketh experience* 
and experience hope, and hope mtfketh not 
ashamed : because the love of God is shed 
abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which 
is given unto us.' 9 Then he said, "If you 
had asked me how long I bad been striving to 
keep the commandments of God, I could 
have told you that it had been ever since I 
had knowledge of any thing." 44 Why,' 5 said 
I, 44 the commandments ol God are all ful* 
filled in love, for thou shalt love the Lord 
thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy 
soul, and with all thy mind, and thy neigh- 
bour as thyself, for on this hang all the law 
and the prophets." But he harped away on 
the commandments, and I exhorted him to 
get his soul converted, and his heart made 
clean through the atoning blood of the Lord 
Jesus Christ, and then he would be qualified 
to preach the gospel of the Son of God, and 
would be an instrument of blessing to the peo- 
ple to whom he preached. So when I left 
the stage, he gave me a pressing invitation to 
ay him a visit before I left the place. I told 
im I would if I could ; so one night I put up 
at brother Comstock's in his neighbourhood ;* 
when I called on him, at the house of a widow 
With whom he boarded : after we talked a lit* 
14* 



162 



A NARRATIVE OF 



tie, he said he did not believe in perfection, 
and that he sinned every day, in word, thought, 
and deed. I told him it was a pity. Then 
he began to pick holes in the garments of 
some of the Methodists. I told him I thought 
the better way would be to get his soul filled 
with the love of God, than to have it filled 
with other people's failings* I said I did not 
come to enter into argument: I came to pay 
him a friendly visit. After a while I rose up, 
and said I must be going ; he went out on the 
stoop with me ; when we were there he let 
off his great gun ; he said the way the Metho- 
dists preached the doctrines of perfection and 
holiness of heart, was the means of making 
devils of the people rather than Christians. I 
said, " O ! my dear, give your heart to God, 
and let him shed the full glory of perfect love 
into your soul: then with pleasure and delight 
you will be able to do and suffer all the good 
pleasure of his wilh" So I bade him good 
bye, and I saw him no more. I thought it 
was a pity that men standing in the place of 
ministers of Christ, should talk and act in 
such a manner ; and that it was calculated to 
do more harm than ail their preaching would 
do good. May the Lord have mercy on him 
and all who stand up in the pulpit to read 
sermons to the people without having their 
hearts changed and renewed in righteousness 
by the power of the Holy Ghost ; for without 
it they are a curse instead of a blessing to 
their congregations. 



JAMES V, HORTCN. 



163 



The protracted meeting commenced on the 
9th of October ; after brother Fuller preached 
on sabbath, I exhorted and closed the meet* 
ing. A brother and his wife were there, who 
were so tried with me that they concluded 
they would not be at the prayer-meeting 
which was to be about a mile south of where 
they lived, so they thought they would go to 
the meeting that was about four miles off, in 
order to get clear of me ; but when they came 
in behold Uncle Jimmy was there* I ex- 
horted and prayed and had great liberty, and 
the Lord was with us. The tried brother 
went to prayer and it was good, and he and 
his wife got over their difficulty. The next 
night we had preaching and prayer-meeting ; 
I can truly say the Lord was with me every 
minute of the time, but in all the meetings 
that ever I attended, I don't think I saw the 
unconverted carry on so much like the wicked 
one. There was a mixed multitude of Deists, 
Universalists, Campbellites, and some other 
professors of religion. After meetings were 
dismissed at night, they would go off shout- 
ing, screaming, and yelling, to their place of 
rendezvous, where they would hold mock 
prayer-meetings. I was told they would 
get an old negro down, and he would groan 
as if in distress, and they would pray over him 
in imitation of the Methodists. They wrote 
advertisements and put them up, setting forth 
that on such a night brother Fuller would 
perform, and such a night brother C. Handford 



164 



A NARRATIVE Of 



would perform the day of judgment, and that 
Uncle Jimmy was going to bring Noah with 
his ark, and all the antediluvian world to view ; 
then they filled a jug with powder and set it 
off a short distance from the meeting-house ; 
it made a great cracking, but did not disturb 
me. When I first came, I intended to stay 
only a week, but they kept me there nearly 
four weeks ; the brethren and sisters were 
very kind to me. Twenty-five souls were 
converted to God while I was there, and 
one professed sanctification, and I left them 
still going on with their meetings. The friends 
gave me some cloth and flannel, &c, and a 
good Presbyterian gave me a fine pair of 
boots, he said he should join the Methodists. 
They paid my expenses, and gave me three 
dollars in money ; they brought me down to 
the boat, and I went on board for New-York s 
The wind had been a long time from the east 
and brought in a heavy swell, and we had an 
unpleasant time of it ; some were sea-sick ? 
but it did not affect me at all ; we arrived at 
New-York in safety. 

I visited Flushing for the first time in my 
life, and thought I should find nobody but 
strangers, but nearly all of them knew Uncle 
Jimmy. There I found B. Thatcher, and had 
a most delightful visit and kind reception 
among the brethren and sisters. One good 
sister gave me a vest, and another gave me 
two shillings ; may the Lord bless them for 
their kind feelings to me, 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



165 



Brother Silliman took me in his wagon to 
Newtown. I held a meeting-, and led class : had 
an excellent time. The brethren contributed 
a little to bear my expenses. Next day he 
took me to brother Mosier's, at Brooklyn, 
where I packed up my things — and the next 
day went over to New-York, and led brother 
Samuel Cox's class, where we had a pre- 
cious time. A class-leader from Forsyth- 
street was there. The next morning I 
went up to my son's, out of town. While 
there this brother came with his wagon to 
get me to go and lead his class. So I went, 
and a blessed time we had. The next day he 
took me in his wagon to Washington market. 
I went on board the boat for Poughkeepsie. 
When I arrived I found my family all 
well. After I got home, I was much afflicted 
w r ith rheumatism. I attended two or three 
protracted meetings during the winter. I was 
confined at home. My daughter was un- 
der the doctor's hands at Poughkeepsie, 
having had a wen cut out of her shoulder. 
My wife had two strokes of the palsy. 
She has been a hard-working woman, and a 
kind wife to me. I was married the day after 
I was twenty-one, and now I am seventy-one. 
My wife has had thirteen children, all of 
whom, except one, arrived at years of matu- 
rity. The past winter my time has been occu- 
pied in writing, and I have found it to be a job : 
and sometimes I have been almost inclined to 
give it up. But some of my friends in New- 



166 



A NARRATIVE OF 



York bound me under such a strong promise 
to have my biography published, that I felt 
constrained to try and do as well as I could. 
But it was a most difficult work, for I 
never thought of doing it ; and therefore I 
never kept any notes : which, if I had, would 
have been a great help. For not having them 
I have had to tax my memory rather severely ; 
and after all I fear there are many interesting 
passages and incidents which I have not re- 
collected. Brother Remington told me if I 
would give him the outlines he would com- 
pile it for me. So I had it all fired as well as 
I could, and came to New-York in April 1838, 
bringing my manuscript with me. I saw bro- 
ther Remington, but he said he could do noth- 
ing until after conference. So I stayed about 
two weeks in the city and at Brooklyn, and had 
a number of good prayer-meetings, and some 
excellent class-meetings. While at Brooklyn 
I stayed at brother Isaac Hosier's. They are 
a very kind family, While there in the 
day-time, brother Isaac and I would visit 
the sick, and those that were seeking re- 
ligion. At one house there were two young 
women, one seeking for the pardon of sin, 
and the other struggling for holiness of 
heart. I sung with and prayed for them; 
and the one that was seeking religion, found 
peace to her soul ; and the Holy Ghost ac- 
complished the good pleasure of his will in 
the other. The Baptists got the one that 
experienced religion, but the one that obtain- 



JAMES P. hORTON. 



167 



ed the blessing of perfect love, remained 
with us, and the last time I saw her or 
heard from her, she still retained the happy 
witness of the great and glorious work the 
Lord had wrought in her soul. May God 
help her to retain it to the end. 

I returned home to Poughkeepsie. After 
conference I came to the city again, to see bro- 
ther Remington about my book, and then I 
was informed that he was transferred to the 
Troy conference, but that his family resided 
in Forsyth-street, and he had gone to Troy 
to enter upon his station — and now it would 
be impossible for him to compile my narra- 
tive. And so I thought I had taken all my 
trouble for nothing. And I felt wonder- 
fully discouraged. I thought it was too 
bad, after I had gone so far and taken so 
much pains as I had, that it must all fall 
through. Well, I concluded, if the Lord were 
pleased with what I intended to do, he would 
open a way for me though I could see none. 
And if not, I thought I would submit, 
and let it go. With this disposal of the busi- 
ness I went over to Brooklyn, to see my dear 
old brother Isaac Mosier. I took dinner with 
him. After waid felt so unwell that I told 
the family I would go back to New- York, and 
for three or four days I never was more sick 
in my life. Ague in my face brought on the 
rheumatism and a violent fever. I did not 
know but my heavenly Father was going to 
call me to himself. But I felt that I was 



168 



A NARRATIVE OF 



ready, and willing to submit to all the good 
pleasure of his will, and if there were nothing 
more for me to do in my Master's vine- 
yard, the sooner the chariot came the bet- 
ter. In the midst of my afflictions Jesus 
was exceedingly precious to my soul. But 
it seemed the Master did not intend to call 
me yet, for by the next sabbath I was quite re- 
covered from my illness, and I concluded to 
go to Second-street church. And while I 
was on my way I met a brother who told 
me the people were painting the church. So 
I altered my course, and went to Willet-street 
church. There I heard brother N. Kellogg, 
who had just come to that station. He 
preached there three times that day ; and un- 
der his preaching I was wonderfully refreshed. 
It appeared to me he preached and laboured 
like a workman that needed not to be ashamed, 
for he wrought with sharp tools. On Monday 
night I was at a prayer-meeting there, and a 
good time it was. The Lord blessed me ex- 
ceedingly. On Tuesday I started for brother 
Way's, at Newtown. When he brought me in 
his wagon last fall to Brooklyn he made me 
promise without fail, when I came to New- 
York, to come and see him. I stayed all 
night with him, had a pleasant little visit with 
the family. Next day I returned to New-York, 
and on Thursday evening led brother Hib- 
berd's class, in Willet-street. I hardly ever 
saw such a class before ; nearly all of them 
are young people, teachers in the Sabbath- 



JAMES P. HORTON. 169 

school, of whom their leader is superintend 
dant. May the Lord keep them faithful in 
his blessed work, and may I have the plea- 
sure and delight, in the great day of my Sa- 
viour, to meet the dear young disciples, and 
their leader, in my heavenly Father's king- 
dom. On Friday night I attended preaching 
there. On Saturday went over to Bedford- 
street church, and attended the Saturday 
night meeting, where we had singing and 
prayer, and speaking : it was a happy time* 
I think such meetings are very profitable, 
and calculated to strengthen and confirm 
the young disciples in their experience. It 
was at one of those meetings in Bedford- 
street church, that I heard a dear old Dutch 
sister relate her experience in the following 
manner : she said, " My bredren and sister, 
about tirty years ago I used to hear de 
peoples talking apoutde Metodists, and mak- 
ing fun apout em ; dey would say, de Metodist 
dey profess to know dere sins forgiven, and 
to know dat dey love Gott, and datGott loves 
dem ; and dey did'ent pelieve no such ting ; 
dat it was all delushun, and de work of de 
difil. Put I used to tink to mineself a goot 
deal apout it. I tought what a wonderful 
ting it must pe for to know dat dere sins was for- 
giffen, and dat dey loved Gott, and Gott loved 
dem. And I said, O, mine Gott, if I could say 
dat, vat a happy voman I would pe. Veil 
de more I tought apout it, de vorser I did feel, 
and so I vent one dey after anoder. Some* 
15 



170 



A NARRATIVE OF 



times I could look up to de heavens, an cry 
mit all my might. I did want to feel like dey 
say de Metodist feel. Veil, von say I vas out 
in de garden, an someting say to me, 4 You 
must pray to Gott.' I said, * O mine Gott, vat 
shall I say f I nefTer pray't in all my life.' 
Put still it would say, 4 You must pray to Gott.' 
Veil, so I tought I would try : den I got on 
my knees under de peach tree, an I says, • 
1 Mine Gott, de Metodists dey say dat Gott has 
forgifTen dem all dere sins, an dat dey love 
Gott, an dat Gott loves dem, an dere soul 
is happy. O mine Gott, if I could feel so vat 
a happy voman I vould pe. O, mine Gott, I 
vant to feel like de Metodists.' Veil as I vas 
praying so veil as I could, someting say to 
me, 4 Your sins be forgifTen, now go an shoin 
de Metodist ;' den, O, how happy I did feel. 
I said, 4 Glory to Gott,now I know dat de Lord 
has forgifTen me all my sins ; now I love Gott, 
an he loves me.' I vas so happy I vanted to 
tell every body a pout it. So someting say to 
me, 'Now, you must go downto Schon-street, 
an shoin de Metodist schurch. Veil, I say, 
4 w T here is dat ? I nefTer been dere in all my life.' 
Put still it vould say, Go down to Schon-street 
an shoin de Metodist schurch. So I vent, 
an de Lord showed me de vay right down to 
de Schon-street schurch. Ven I comes dere 
I looked up an dere it was sure enough, an 
dere vas a man vat stood in de door, an he 
did look so goot I says to him, 4 Is dis de Meto- 
dist schurch V den he says, 4 Yes,' Veil den I 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



171 



says, 4 You know dat Gotthas forgiffen you all 
your sins, an you love Gott, and Gott love 
you, an your soul is happy. Glory to Gott ! 
he's forgiffen me all my sins, an he loves me, 
an I love him, an my soul's happy. I come 
to shoin your schurch'. 4 Veil, 9 he says, 4 come 
in mammy and so I goes in. Ven I gets in 
dere, O mine Gott, I neffer did see sich a 
place pefore. Dere vas all de schurch full 
of peoples ; de mens, dey did set by dem- 
selfs, an de womens by demselfs : an dey did 
look so great. Glory to Gott! I neffer vas so 
happy in all my life. By an by de minister 
he pegan, an he gifes out de hymn, an den de 
peoples pegin to sing. An O sich singing. 
De mens ah de womens did all sing so nice. 
I felt so happy as I could pe in de pody. I 
says, 4 Glory to Gott, is dis de Metodist reli- 
gion V So after de preacher vas done preach- 
ing, he comes down in de altar, an he says, 
4 Is dere any pody here vat vants to shoin de 
schurch?' So I goes up, an I says, 'De great 
Gott has forgiffen you'all your sins, an you 
know dat you love Gott, an dat Gott loves 
you. Gott has forgiffen me my sins, an he 
loves me, an I love him, an my soul's happy. 
I comes to shoin your schurch.' 4 Veil,' he 
says, 4 Mammy, ve vill put your name down for 
six monts.' 4 Hold your tong, I says, mit your 
six monts. Vat, shoin de schurch for six 
monts ? No, I vants to shoin it for life. So 
he pegan to tell me dat it vas de vay dey took 
de peoples in de Metodist schurch : dey try 



172 



A NARRATIVE OF 



em six monts, an den, he says, if you likes 
us, an ve likes you, den you vill pe a mem- 
per. Put I says, No, no, none of your six 
monts — chist put me down for life, so he 
puts town my name in de pook : an glory to 
Gott, I an't got tired in de vay yet. An I 
mean by de help of de Lord to hold on to de 
end." 

It appeared to me that it was worth a great 
deal of trouble to go to meeting, if there had 
been nothing else said or done besides the re- 
lation of the good old sister's experience, as 
she told it in her simple way. While she was 
relating it my soul was filled with love, and I 
felt as happy as I could be in the body. On sab- 
bath morning I heard brother Samuel Luckey. 
I suppose I should have said reverend doc- 
tor., but I am such an old-fashion kind of a 
person, I cannot seem to think of these new 
titles, &c. But he preached good enough 
for uncle Jimmy without the D. D. ; and there 
was some good old-fashion shouting under the 
sermon. So that upon the whole 1 could not 
see that his D. D. did either good or evil. 
I stayed all day in the neighbourhood of Bed- 
ford-street church — attended there also in the 
afternoon, and evening, and the word of the 
Lord was sweet to my taste. On Monday I 
went over to my daughter's, in Broome-street. 
In the afternoon went up to Mr. B.'s. He 
was going to take my likeness. So the next 
morning, being 4th of July, he commenced. 
As there had been such a carrying on all the 



JAMES P. HORTON, 



night before the 4th, firing of grins and one 
thing and another, and hallooing in Broom- 
street where my daughter lived, I thought at 
night I would go up to brother Newman's in 
Houston-street, to get clear of the noise. 
But it was like jumping out of the frying-pan 
into the fire. For if possible it was ten time© 
worse there than it was at my daughter's 
house. But for all the noise we had a good 
and blessed time in family prayer. At a 
late hour I took my lodging on a sofa. I lay 
and thought if I could have had some of the 
money that appeared to me to be so foolish- 
ly spent, it would lengthen my cord, and 
how much good I could be the means of do- 
ing with it. Still I cannot say but that I 
like to hear the people express their joy and 
happiness in remembrance of the great and 
glorious event in our national history, which 
this great national jubilee is designed to per- 
petuate. And if in the midst of their joy and 
mirth, they remember that it was by the in- 
terposition of a good Providence that our 
forefathers were enabled to break their yoke, 
and thus lay the foundation of this greatest 
and happiest country on the face of the globe, 
and they are innocently happy in their man- 
ner of showing their gratitude, I will not go 
to say that my heavenly Father is displeased 
With it. 

Next morning I again went to Mr. B/s, 
to have another sitting for my picture. While 
he was painting I began a conversation with 
15* 



i?4 



A NARRATIVE OF 



him. I soon found he was a Universalis, 
He said he believed all would go to heaven 
after death. He appeared to be a very wor- 
thy man. I felt sorry to find him on that 
sandy foundation. I told him he had just as 
good a right to disbelieve that there was such 
a place as Jesus Christ described the world of 
glory to be, as to disbelieve there was such a 
place of torment as he also had as clearly de- 
scribed. I told him the Scriptures declare, 
that as the tree falleth so it must lie. I then 
told him that our Saviour saith to the Jews, 
" Unless ye believe that I am he, ye shall die 
in your sins, and where I am ye cannot come." 
He said, "Is there such scripture?" I said, 
" Yes." He said he did not remember that 
he had ever read it. Then I said to him, O 
my dear, you must never rest contented while 
you live without an experimental knowledge 
of salvation ; and when you know that God 
has justified your soul, then to have it washed 
and cleansed by an application of the blood 
of the Lord Jesus Christ by the eternal Spirit 
through which the atonement was made, 
then you will be qualified for every good 
word and work. He appeared to be much 
pleased with the conversation. Then I told 
him my experience. After he had finished 
the likeness, I asked him what his charge 
was. He said, Nothing — only he desired that 
I would give him one of my books, when 
completed. So after that I took my manu- 
scripts and started for home with sister El- 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



175 



mandorf and her little son John. While I was 
at sister Elmandorfs, I visited two sisters that 
lived together, who were twins, and were but 
little short of an hundred years old. On Sa- 
turday afternoon at 5 o'clock, we went on 
board the boat for Poughkeepsie. There was 
a neighbour of mine on board, Mr. Joseph 
Weeks, I told him I would be glad to get 
home the next day. He said he had a wagon 
and horse in Poughkeepsie, and he kindly 
offered to take us out home ; and we thank- 
fully accepted his generous offer. So when 
we came to his houee, he invited us to stay 
and get dinner, which we did. We arrived 
at home about sun down, found my family all 
well. 

About three weeks after this I was taken 
quite unwell, very lame with the rheumatism, 
and my head so out of order that I could 
scarcely sleep day or night. I began to con- 
clude that I should not be able to labour in 
the vineyard of my master any more. The 
weather was very warm, and such was the 
state of my health that I had to give up the 
idea of going to the Hempstead Harbour 
camp-meeting. But though I was deprived 
of that happy privilege, yet my health im- 
proved, and I had some delightful and happy 
meetings around Poughkeepsie, and felt much 
refreshed and strengthened. 

Camp-meeting was coming on at Singsing, 
and I tried to set things in order so that I 
could attend. So on the first day of September 



176 



A NARRATIVE OV 



I found a chance to ride to the town of Fougfr- 
keepsie, and I started on Sabbath. They had 
a quarterly meeting there which I attended f 
and had a good love-feast ; heard brother P. 
P. Sandford preach two sermons, and the 
Lord blessed me under them. Brother John 
Goodsell was there, and insisted that I should 
go home with him to Newburgh that night ; so 
I went along with him and had a wonderfully 
good time in family prayer ; my head felt a 
great deal better, had a sweet night's rest ; in 
the morning, brother John read a chapter, and 
I prayed, and the heavens opened in floods of 
glory on my soul ; I felt a great deal better. 
After breakfast we packed up and started for 
the camp-meeting ; got on board the steam- 
boat, had a very pleasant run down to Sing- 
sing, and arrived at the camp-ground a little 
before twelve. The New-York brethren soon 
came on. Our sailor brethren hoisted their 
Bethel flag, and came and insisted on my open- 
ing the meeting for them ; so I went, and 
we opened the grand campaign against the 
devil's kingdom, and we kept it going till the 
horn was blown to call us to preaching. Af- 
ter preaching, we commenced a prayer meet- 
ing in the Willett-street tent, I took a turn or 
two there, and the fire began to burn pretty 
freely ; then I left and went to the Bedford- 
street tent ; sung and prayed, and got up and 
talked in my old-fashioned way; left the fire 
blazing there, and ran over to the Brooklyn 
tent, where I sung and prayed and talked in 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



17? 



the same style. Then went over to Pough- 
keepsie tent : there the good Lord sent us a 
gale from the highlands of glory. Before the 
gale had passed over, the horn blew for preach- 
ing, and I told them we must be good children 
and obey orders and conform to the good 
rules of the meeting. So I believe the watch- 
man did not have to come more than two or 
three times to still us. I lodged in the Pough- 
keepsie tent that night ; the next day, by the 
time I was well engaged in one tent, some 
one would come as usual and get hold of my 
coat, " Come, brother Horton, we want to have 
prayer-meetingin our tent," so I had to indulge 
them and go ; and thus they kept me at it from 
morning till night, so that I hardly could get 
time to eat or smoke my pipe ; and at night 
while I would try to get a little sleep in their 
tents after I had been so hard at work all day, 
if I happened to snore a little in my sleep, one 
would punch me with his elbows, and one bro- 
ther kicked me on my head, so that I had no 
rest night nor day; I really thought that if 
my heavenly Father had not been a thousand 
times better to me than some of my brethren, 
I should have been dead long a«;o ; but for all 
that I love them, and I had the unspeakable 
pleasuie to see many of them blessed in a 
wonderful manner during the camp-meeting; 
some professing to experience the blessing of 
perfect love, and many poor mourners brought 
into liberty, and made happy in the love of 
God, One night the Lord blessed me so won- 



ITS 



A NARRATIVE OF 



derfully, and I felt so happy, that I walked 
around the encampment feeling like a young 
convert. I came across brother John Hadden. 
he says, " Uncle Jimmy, where are you going 
to lodge to-night?" I told him I did not 
know, as all the tents were full : he said he 
thought I could lodge in his tent, so I went 
with him and curled down in the straw, with 
my wet clothes on, and my head close to bro- 
ther Hadden's feet ; I fell asleep and began 
to snore, and he commenced kicking my head, 
said I, "Brother John, this is a curious piece 
of business to be sure, you invited me to lodge 
in your tent, and now you fall to kicking my 
head in such an unchristianlike manner :" he 
said, "I cannot sleep for your snoring." I 
said, " I am not accountable for what I do 
when I am asleep ;" but he kept jogging me 
in this way as soon as I would get asleep and 
snore, till I found I could not sleep there, so 
I got up and walked around the encampment 
until morning. 

When the sun was about an hour high, a 
sister came to me and said, " Brother Hor- 
ton, I wish you to take breakfast with us this 
morning, and have prayer in our tent." I 
went to prayer. And as I rose from my 
knees, another sister came and said, "Bro- 
ther Horton, I wish you would come into our 
tent and have prayer with us." I went, and 
sung, and prayed, and the Lord was with u?. 
So I had to stay and take breakfast. After 
breakfast I lighted my pipe, and sat and rested, 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



179 



for I Felt weary after my hard night's rest. 
While I was sitting thus, these words came to 
my mind, 44 Walk in the light, while ye v have 
the light." So I thought I would go to work. 
I commenced at the Bedford-street tent, by 
singing and praying, and soon the tent was 
filled, and there were a number of mourners. 
Then went to Willet-street tent, sung and 
prayed twice with them. Then I tried to get 
into the sailors' tent, but it was so full that I 
could not get ku On Thursday, being the 
last day of the meeting, I thought it my du- 
ty to locate myself among my Poughkeep- 
sie friends. So I commenced a prayer-meet- 
ing there. And while at prayer, the mission- 
ary spirit came upon me, and I had to leave 
and I ran into the Singsing tent, then to the 
Second-street tent. There I was so happy I 
could not contain myself. Went to Bedford- 
street tent, and so around to Poughkeepsie 
tent — and there kept it up all night. 

On Friday the camp-meeting closed. I 
walked with one of the brethren down to the 
tunnel, where they were cutting a hole 
through a hill three or four hundred rods. I 
thought it was wonderful to see the ingenuity 
of man, and how he would persevere to ac- 
complish any worldly object. And then I 
thought what a pity it was that Christians 
would not take example from the people of 
the world, in this instance. How many of 
the people of God in their journey to Mount 
Zion, the New Jerusalem, the city of the liv~ 



180 



A NARRATIVE Of 



ing God — if they meet with a difficult hill in 
their way, get disheartened, and turn aside 
from it. But these children of mammon, if 
they come to a hill, and they cannot go over 
it, there is no turning aside about the business, 
no, no ; that's not in their book. But they 
go to work and dig through it. No matter 
about the labour, no matter about the obsta- 
cles — if it is solid rock they stop not at that, 
but go at it with all their might, blasting and 
blowing, until by and by you see them com- 
ing out of the other end. Well, at any rate I 
learned a good lesson from it, and I conclud- 
ed that when I should come to a mountain in 
my road, that I could not go over, I would by 
the help of the Lord, off coat, and dig through 
it. While we were going to the boat, we 
stopped by the way and had prayer together, 
and were as happy as we could live. In that 
state of mind we gat on board the boat for 
Poughkeepsie, and stayed there till Saturday 
night. The Lord commanded me to go to 
brother Leving's camp-meeting. So I started, 
promising that I would obey, and continued 
very happy. Arrived at brother Remington's 
in Troy, on sabbath morning very early. 
They were all very glad to see me. At halt 
past ten o'clock went to church, heard bro- 
ther Oakley preach from Num. xiv, 24, a 
very excellent sermon. After preaching, bro- 
ther Whipple came to me and said, " Bro- 
ther Horton, you must lead my class." So 
we sang a hymn, and prayed, and I spoke to 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



181 



the class, and the blessed Lord was with us. 
After class he said to me, " Now you must go 
home with me, brother Horton, and stay till 
we start for the camp-meeting to-morrow. 
You have been to camp-meeting, and have 
now come here, and I want you to be as still as 
you can, for I shall be bishop over you. The 
Troy tents are all pitched on the camp-ground, 
and we have set up a large tabernacle, made 
of boards, on purpose to hold prayer-meet- 
ings in. And I shall expect to have you there 
during the meeting.' 9 So on Monday we 
started for the camp, and I felt as fresh and 
strong for my Master's work as ever. We 
commenced and kept up prayer-meeting night 
and day in their tabernacle, and a number 
found peace and pardon through faith in the 
Lord Jesus Christ At this meeting I met 
with a number of my old brethren with whom 
I was acquainted forty years ago. Among 
them were brother Lewis Sutherland, a local 
preacher, brother Chichester, and my cousin 
and her husband James Hunt. I took the lat- 
ter by the hand, and exhorted them to seek 
the Lord by prayer and supplication, and ne- 
ver cease till God in his infinite mercy changed 
their hearts ; or, if they died without reli- 
gion, they would be banished from the pre- 
sence of the Lord and the glory of his power 
for ever. The Lord melted their hearts, and 
tears ran in streams down their faces, and 
so I left them. Then I met with my sister's 
son : he appeared glad to see me. I exhorted 



182 



A NARRATIVE OF 



him to cease to do evil. The tears started in 
his eyes: he said he would come the next day 
and bring his wife with him. And so he did, 
and also two of his wife's sisters, who were 
the daughters of my oldest brother. I talked 
with them about the salvation of their souls. 
I told them what Jesus had done for them, 
and what he was now doing to save them, and 
now they must close in with offered mercy, 
and obtain the knowledge of salvation : for 
God hath spoken, (and he cannot lie,) that 
M the wicked shall be turned into hell," and 
it would be a wonderful thing to be shut up in 
hell, with all the drunkards, and thieves, and 
liars, and all the abominable from among man- 
kind. I told them it was not likely that we 
ever should meet again till Gabriel should 
sound the alarm to wake the dead and call 
them to judgment. And they must prepare to 
meet me, for I had not a doubt on my mind, 
if faithful to God a little while longer here 
below, I should be in that world of ineffable 
beauty and glory. " Now," says I, " will you 
try to meet me there ?" They promised me 
with tears that they would. I bade them fare- 
well, and may the Lord help them to fulfil 
their promise. 

Old brother King, who used to live at 
Mount Washington, sent for me to come to 
his tent and take tea with him. I went. After 
tea he desired me to commence a prayer- 
meeting there. So while the sisters were 
putting things to rights, I sung two or three 



JAMES P. HORTON\ 



hymns, and the people came running together. 
Then I got up and told them I would sing the 
first hymn that was sung at the first camp- 
meeting that was ever held in York state — 
which was, " Salvation, O the joyful sound, 
what pleasure to our ears !" 

After singing the hymn I prayed, and was 
so filled with the Spirit of glory and God, 
that it really appeared to me there were 
streams of light going out of my soul through 
my body like the rays of the sun. "When I 
arose from my knees a number of the Lord's 
slain lay on the ground. I exhorted in my 
way, and the brethren and sisters prayed. 
Some were made happy in the love of God, 
and shouted his praise. We went to preach- 
ing, after which we had prayer-meeting at the 
tabernacle — kept it up till nearly twelve 
o'clock, then retired to rest 

Next day my old bishop gave me a parole. 
So then I spent the day visiting families, talk- 
ing, singing, and praying. My bishop laid 
his injunction upon me, that after evening 
preaching I should come to the tabernacle. 
At the time appointed I went, and we had a 
good and precious time. During our meeting 
that night in the tabernacle a number expe- 
rienced religion. The preaching during the 
camp-meeting was excellent. A coloured 
man was there from Africa, by the name of 
Brown. He preached a sermon from these 
words, "Lift up your eyes, and look on the 
fields, for they are white already to harvest" 



m 



A NARRATIVE OF 



He told of his preaching to the heathen in 
Africa, and of their ignorance. He said they 
believed in a God and in a devil, and that God 
was so holy, and they were such miserable 
sinners, that they never could dwell with 
him, and consequently they would be better 
off 1 with the devil, who was by his wicked 
nature more like themselves : and therefore 
they sacrificed to the devil. He said he was 
at one of their meetings that w r as held on a 
Saturday. There were a great many hun- 
dred of them collected. The king and the 
old priest were on a scaffold erected for the 
purpose, and there were two goats handed to 
them. The priest cut their throats, and 
caught the blood in a dish, and then poured it 
into a bush, which they called the devil's 
bush. Then there were two lambs brought, 
and the priest cut their throats, and caught 
the blood and poured it into the bush as be- 
fore. Then there was a row of women by the 
side of the scaffold, each with a little boy by 
her side between four and five years of age. 
After the beasts were dead, they were laid 
aside. Then one of the priests came down, 
walked along by the women, viewing the little 
boys. At last he came to one, took it by the 
arm, and pulled him away from his mother. 
The little fellow cried and clung to his mo- 
ther's arm, but she shook him off, and so they 
took him on the scaffold : the child cried and 
struggled, and called after its mother, so that 
the priest had to call another to help him. 



JAMES P. HORTONe 185 

They held him down, and the old devil's priest 
drew out his knife, and gave a slash into his 
throat, which did not sever his wind-pipe. 
He concluded that his knife must be dull, he 
gave three slashes, the last one they bent his 
neck back till they could see his neck bone. 
They then caught the blood in their dish, and 
poured it into the devil's bush. After the 
child was dead, they had a pile of wood pre- 
pared, on which they poured oil. Then they 
laid the bodies of the beasts and the child 
upon it, and put fire to it, and it burned won- 
derfully. Two men were employed with 
long hooks, to roll the bodies in the flames. 
The heat was so great that sometimes their 
faces would be all burned to a scab. This 
they have to attend to every Saturday through 
the year, and this was their manner of sacri- 
ficing to the devil. They have no idea of go- 
ing to heaven, and they conclude that the 
better they are to the devil, the better he will 
be to them in hell. He said while those hor- 
rid sacrifices were going on he took particu- 
lar notice of the people who were in the vast 
assembly ; not a smile could be seen, no one 
talking, or inattentively walking around like 
some of those young gentlemen and ladies at 
this camp-meeting. After this he told of his 
going to visit an old king, a great way off 
from where he lived. When he came pretty 
near the castle, he was met by a guard. 
They told him that he must not take another 
step forward, or they would kill him. He 
16 # 



186 



A NARRATIVE OF 



told them his life was in the hands of God, and 
that he must and would see the king. Ke 
spoke to them in their own language. Then 
one of the guards went and told the king, and 
returned with the king. He spoke to the 
king in his own language, told him his busi- 
ness, and the king took him into his castle^ 
and was very friendly to him, and invited 
him to dine with him. When dinner was 
prepared, he saw that it was a child that they 
had cooked for their dinner. -He told the 
king that he could not partake of it, that hu- 
manity shrunk from it. He then gave orders 
to have a monkey killed. They cut the mon- 
key in two, threw him on the fire, and so 
cooked him. There was no alter, ative for 
me to choose, and being very hungry, I ate 
of it, and it tasted very sweet. I told him 
about Jesus ; that he had come into our world 
to die for the sins of mankind ; and that 
through the atonement of his precious blood, 
they all might go to heaven. And while he 
was thus talking to them their hearts would 
be melted and softened by the Holy Spirit ; 
tears would stream from their eyes ; they 
would throw away the idols that they carry 
suspended by a string around their necks. 
He said he had seen cartloads of these little 
idols thrown into their rivers, and this is the 
case wherever the gospel of Jesus Christ is 
preached among them in their own language; 
that there were a number of the natives that 
had been converted, and the divine Master had 



JAMES P. HORTON, 



187 



commissioned and sent them out to preach 
the blessed gospel among their brethren, and 
they were going in every direction, proclaim- 
ing salvation through Christ ; that if tha 
white people would not bring their fire waters 
among them, it would be but a short time be- 
fore they would all embrace the gospel ; and 
the spiritual worship of Jesus Christ, and the 
beauties of his heavenly kingdom, would su- 
persede the worship of dumb idols and the 
sacrificing human beings to the devil." While 
the coloured brother was preaching, and relat- 
ing this history of the heathen in Africa, the 
congregation were all in tears. He stated 
also that Africa contained eighty millions of 
inhabitants, who were thus sitting in the re- 
gion and shadow of death, and exceedingly 
anxious to receive the gospel of peace, that 
the fields were white already to the harvest. 
" Now," says he, " we want missionaries, 
school teachers, Bibles, hymnbooks, tracts, 
and we cannot get them without money." 

After the sermon, brother Levings arose 
and said : "Now we will see what the Amer- 
ican Christians will do for the benighted sons 
of Africa, to send them the gospel, the happy 
means by which the Lord has brought up our 
feet out of the horrible pit, and filled our 
hearts with joy and gladness, and a lively 
hope of immortality." Then an old Metho- 
dist brother arose in front of the stand and 
said, " 1 will give ten dollars ;" and he handed 
over the money on the spot. They then took 



1.83 



a Narrative of 



up the collection, amounting to two hundred 
and twenty dollars. 

On Wednesday night we had a heavy storm 
of wind and rain. I lodged in Peter Col- 
burn's tent, and lay in the centre of the tent, 
under the tables, so 1 kept dry, and there was 
nobody to kick me on the head for snoring, 
and I had fair sailing that night. Next day 
brother Chichester preached as good a ser- 
mon as I ever wish to hear. It was the real 
old-fashion kind of Methodist preaching, very 
powerful, and plain as A B C, and that's good 
enough for me. Camp-meeting broke up on 
Friday, and I returned to Troy. We had a 
good time on our way back, all the time sing- 
ing and talking about Jesus. This was a very 
excellent camp-meeting; I dont know that I 
was ever more happy ! the brethren and sis- 
ters were very kind and good to me. 

When we got to Troy, I went home with 
brother Whipple; his wife had supper on 
the table for us. She is a very kind sister, 
and she draws the tea well out of the canister. 
After we had eaten, brother Whipple says : 
44 Now, uncle Jimmy, you have not slept much 
during the meeting, and last night none at all, 
you must go into your little room and try to 
get some sleep." I obeyed, and tried hard to 
get asleep, but my head and heart were so full 
of glory and the love of God, I could not sleep. 
I got up and washed myself, and walked out ; 
saw an old man splitting wood. I asked him 
if he had religion. " O yes," said he, " I am 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



189 



very happy." I asked him, " Are you a Ro- 
man Catholic?" "Yes," he said. I then 
said, 64 If you are so happy, Jesus Christ must 
have pardoned your sins, for your old priest 
cannot make people feel it when he pardons 
them." At that he became very angry. I left 
him and went into the house ; after which I 
started for a prayer-meeting atthe new church. 
We had a pretty full congregation, and a 
good meeting; my soul was very happy; I 
thought I never was in a better prayer-meet- 
ing. On Saturday went to Peter Colburn's ; 
he went with me to brother Rhodes' ; had a 
sweet time there while praying with the fa- 
mily ; then paid Daniel Mervin a visit ; had 
an excellent and precious time with the old 
gentleman while in prayer ; then went to his 
son Daniel's ; he gave me some money and 
six yards of muslin, and Peter Colburn gave 
me also six yards. May the Lord reward 
them. On sabbath attended preaching in the 
new church ; after preaching I went to a Pres- 
bj'terian prayer-meeting; had a very good 
time with them, singing, exhorting, and 
praying. Several of them told part of their 
experience, which agreed with mine ; they 
appeared to enjoy the meeting well. I was 
told afterward by a brother, that they were 
much pleased with my exercises. In the 
evening went to preaching in the Methodist 
church ; heard brother Oakley preach ; it was 
good enough for me. After which we com- 
menced prayer-meeting, and it appeared as if 



A NARRATIVE OF 



the house was filled with the glory of the 
Lord. I was wonderfully blessed. After the 
meeting closed, the brethren came to bid me 
farewell; some gave me half a dollar, others 
two shillings, so that it cost me nothing going 
or coming. I went home with brother Col- 
burn, and stayed all night with him. In the 
morning he accompanied me down to the boat. 
I started for Albany ; got on board the big 
boat, and every minute of the time while on 
my way to Poughkeepsie, my soul was so 
blessed of the Lord as I cannot describe. I 
was led to believe that those who know the 
most of God enjoy but little, in comparison, 
of what it is their privilege to know and feel. 
I came home safe, found my family in usual 
health, attended a protracted meeting at 
Smith's Cove, and it was a very precious 
time. A number experienced religion, and 
the members were very much blessed. I 
thought brother Cochran went quite beyond 
himself in preaching. While I was at piayer, 
brother H. Williams made a wonderful noise, 
and in the gale that came down from the 
highlands of glory, a young woman fell. I 
then lowered sail and came too, and when I 
got through they were carrying her out of the 
house ; they took her to a house near by ; 
her mother thought she had fainted, or was in 
a fit. The old lady was very much frighten- 
ed, and nothing would do but they must send 
for the doctor; but before their doctor came, 
the heavenly Physician administered salration 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



191 



to her soul, and when the doctor came she 
was happy in the Lord. He said they should 
not send for him in such a case ; the Lord 
must and would take care of his own sick. 
The next day it was very rainy, but the Lord, 
the King of Zion, poured out his Spirit as 
profusely on the dear people as he did the 
rain on the earth ; and walked in his kingly- 
power in the midst of Zion. After meeting 
at night, I walked home with Thomas Cipher. 
After being there a spell, the old lady and her 
two daughters, one of whom had experienced 
religion the night before, came in. I asked 
the old lady if she had ever experienced reli- 
gion. She said, "No," and appeared to be 
very destitute of concern on that subject. I 
took the Bible and read a chapter, and prayed. 
I particularly remembered the old lady, and 
besought the Lord to meet her as he did her 
daughter the night before. I had great lib- 
erty in prayer. When I got up, the old lady 
was weeping. I then began to exhort her, and 
she wept aloud. I then began to sing, and 
the power of God fell upon her, and she was 
prostrated. After an hour she came too, and 
blessed the Lord for what he had done for her 
soul. Then she was gone again, and after 
awhile she came too again, and was happy. 
Then her daughters thought they would re- 
turn home with her, but she was so over- 
powered by the divine influence, that they 
had to lay her on the bed. I retired to rest, 
and had a sweet night's sleep. In the morn- 



192 



A NARRATIVE OF 



ing I fixed myself, and started for quarterly 
meeting at Swago. Brother P. P. Sandford 
preached one of the best sermons that I ever 
heard. We had an excellent prayer-meeting 
on Saturday night, and on Sunday morning 
had an old-fashioned Methodist love-feast. 
Preaching by brother P. P. Sandford, follow- 
ed by an exhortation from brother Cochran. 
There were a number seeking religion. I at- 
tended a number of prayer meetings around 
among the brethren, one at brother James 
Vail's, in his new house, for the purpose of 
dedicating it to the Lord. Remained at home 
doing up my little chores as well as I could. 
My spirit appears as young as ever, but I find 
my old tabernacle begins to fail. Now and 
then there is a pin dropping out, and then 
some of the siding gets loose, and so I am 
looking that it should fall before a great while. 
But, glory to God ! I have a better habitation 
reserved forme in heaven, that will never de- 
cay or get out of repair. 

Early in December, my friend Washburn 
sent his boy with a horse and wagon for me to 
come to his house and stay all night, and the 
next morning to go with him to Middlebush to 
a protracted meeting, and so I had to go. We 
got up about three o'clock, A. M., and made 
ready as soon as we could, got into the wag- 
on and set off ; it was a very cold morning ; I 
suffered a great deal with the cold. I can 
remember the time, since I set out in the Lord's 
work, when neither heat nor cold had much 



JAMES P. HORTON. 193 

effect upon me. I thought but little of travelling 
forty or fifty miles on foot in the course of one 
day, and stopping a dozen or twenty times at 
different houses along the road to sing a hymn, 
and pray in each, and sometimes give an exhort- 
ation to the people, but now the old house, as I 
said before, is so shattered ; time has made 
such impressions upon it, that I find I cannot 
stand it as I did then. However, after a disa- 
greeable ride of twelve miles we arrived at the 
house of J. Washburn, about half an hour 
after sunrise. After warming and refreshing 
ourselves, which took some time, we read a 
chapter in the Bible and had prayer, and had 
a good time of it, and began to feel better. J. 
W T . and his wife had lately experienced religion. 
After breakfast we all started and went to the 
meeting house and had a prayer-meeting there. 
A great many prayed in the Holy Spirit, and 
We had two or three warm exhortations, after 
which we had a speaking, meeting ; the old sol- 
diers of the cross spoke very sweetly about Je- 
sus, and a number of the young converts spoke 
and gave glory to God for what he had done 
for their souls since the protracted meeting 
commenced. Glory to God ! it was a happy 
time. I always like to hear the dear little 3 
humble, happy children of my heavenly Fa- 
ther try, in the simplicity of their hearts, to 
lisp forth the praises of Immanuel, blazing and 
shining with his love as they are wont to do in 
their days of happy espousals. " Jesus all the 
day long is their joy and their song." Yes, 
17 



194 



A NARRATIVE OF 



and it does them good thus early to buckle on 
the armour of Christ. I hope they will prove 
faithful, that I shall have the unspeakable 
pleasure to see their happy shining faces in 
glory. 

"'Tis there we'll reign, and shout, and sing, 
And make the upper arches ring, 
When all the saints get home. 
• Come on, come on, my brethren dear, 
Soon we shall meet together there, 
For Jesus bids us come." 

In the afternoon Br. J. Hunt preached, and 
we had a refreshing time. In the evening we 
had preaching and prayer-meeting; a number 
came around the altar, and some, bless the Lord, 
obtained forgiveness of sins through faith in 
Christ Jesus. I expected to go home the next 
day, which was Monday, but the brethren put 
the embargo on me. They said I should not 
go, that I should stay two or three weeks, so I 
had to indulge them, and let Br. Washburn go 
home alone. I stayed with them and had meet- 
ings every night, and we had some delightful 
and happy seasons. The Lord was in the 
midst of our Zion ; many were released from 
the bondage of the devil. If I had any hand in 
trying to knock ofF some of old Satan's fetters, 
and liberating some of his captives, I suppose 
he will not like me any the better for it, but, 
glory to God ! my soul was happy in my em- 
ployment, and I never wanted to please him 
since I found the blessed Jesus ; and besides, 
when the devil is displeased, I am always glad : 



JAMES P. NORTON. 



195 



then I think there is a prospect of doing some- 
thing. I never thought that the devil was much 
disturbed with nice handsome prayers, though 
they should be ever so long, nor do I think he 
has much reason to get out of humour, for they 
won't hurt any person much unless they hap- 
pen to have a hard place on which to kneel ; 
but at any rate it is not much in fashion to 
kneel now-a-days, and it may be that is the 
reason we have such long formal prayers. 
Sometimes, however, they do some good ; if 
they don't offend the devil, they quiet the mis- 
chievous by putting them to sleep. 

One day while I was staying there, I visited 
Dr. Husson's, and the Lord gave me liberty 
in singing and praying. After I got through 
my prayer, I exhorted them all to seek salva- 
tion, and the doctor was quite affected ; he gave 
me a dollar, and invited me to come again. 
One day Br. Pollock took me to see his father, 
eighty. four years of age ; the old man and his 
grandson, ten years old, experienced religion 
during the meeting ; they were kneeling side by 
side at the altar ; I had a precious visit with 
them. That night we had a meeting at T. L.'s, 
and the Lord was with us in mighty power. 
Sabbath night, the weather being rainy, we had 
meeting at the church, and there were some 
souls converted. On Tuesday I rode up to 
Hussontown ; went to meeting that night to 
Br. Smith's ; the last meeting I attended with 
them was on Thursday night ; went home with 
Br. B. ; stayed all night with him. I think I 



196 



A NARRATIVE OF 



never was with a more humble happy people 
than they were, and I was wonderfully blessed 
with them, they kept me till the river froze up, 
then they gave me five dollars to pay my 
fare to New-York. This was on the 28th of 
December. Then J. Bates took me two miles be- 
low Fishkill, and I travelled the remainder of 
the day on foot. I came to Br. M.'s and had 
not been there long before Br. Law from Cold 
Spring came in : he had a protracted meeting 
that week, and nothing would do but I must go 
with him three miles into the highlands. I had 
then been labouring day and night for nearly 
four weeks, and tried hard to get off, but there 
was no let up, and I had to go ; so I started 
with him and we travelled on : when we came 
to the steepest hills he helped me along, for I 
was already used up, having walked so much 
that day. At last we got to the place of meet- 
ing: after I had rested a little, I went to work 
in the name of the Lord, and the Master was 
with us ; we had a refreshing season ; my soul 
and body were refreshed, and I did not feel the 
least weariness, for the love and fire which Je- 
sus kindled up in my soul drove it all away. 
The people said I must not leave until Monday : 
that night I stayed with Br. H., next night had 
prayer-meeting again ; had an excellent time. 
Br. R. H., a local preacher, came to me, and said 
he was wonderfully glad to see me in the moun- 
tain once more; he said they were going to 
hold a watch-night in their new church, and to- 
morrow I shall come and take you up to my 



JAMES P. HORTON* 197 

house. So on sabbath I tried to preach to the 
people in the mountain : we had an excellent 
time. While I was speaking in the name of 
the Lord, some wept and some shouted. After 
I had preached, Br. Law gave an exhortation, 
and the good Lord helped. Then we had a 
speaking meeting, and a number spoke very 
sweetly of the love of Jesus* In the evening 
we had meeting again ; the house was so full 
that we had no chance to get mourners for- 
ward. I have no doubt there were a number 
deeply awakened who would have been glad of 
an opportunity to present themselves publicly 
for prayers. After meeting I went home with 
R. H. ; stayed all night with his family ; they 
were very kind to me. On Monday afternoon 
Br. Donnelly, the preacher in charge, came 
there to be present at the watch-night to be 
held in the new church that night. Before we 
started for meeting, Br. Nelson from Cold Spring 
came to get some one to help at their watch- 
night meeting, and wanted me to go with him, 
but it had been given out on Sunday that I 
was to be at the watch-night at the new church, 
and so many people had heard of Uncle Jim- 
my, who had never seen him, that I concluded 
that it would not be the fair thing to disap- 
point them, and therefore had to refuse Br. 
Nelson. I felt sorry to have to do it, for he 
had come six miles for no other purpose than 
to get me to go with him up to their meeting ; 
so I told him he might give out an appointment 
or me on Tuesday evening, that being new- 
17* 



198 



A NARRATIVE OF 



year's night, if Br. H. would take me up, to 
which he agreed. So on Monday night we had 
our watch-night, and it was a precious season ; 
the good Lord blessed us so that we forgot all 
about the hour of twelve o'clock, and when 
some of the brethren came to look at the clock, 
behold, it was almost one; so I concluded the 
new year had stolen a march on us, and while 
we were singing and praying the old year out, 
he came in unnoticed. 

Next night, according to agreement, I went 
to Cold Spring and held meeting in their church ; 
having laboured very hard and being conside- 
rably worn down, I thought it would be best for 
Br. Hopper to preach ; and when he announced 
his text, behold, it was the very same passage 
of Scripture from which I had intended to 
preach : " But now, being made free from sin, 
and become servants to God, ye have your fruit 
unto holiness, and the end everlasting life." 
After he got through I took a turn, and the 
Lord led me to tell my experience and exhort 
the people never to rest short of the blessing of 
holiness, and we had a good time. Br. Nelson 
desired me to stay a week or two with them, 
but I was impressed to return with my good 
Br. Hopper ; I did so, and had an excellent 
time in family prayer that night, and went to 
bed about one o'clock. Next morning the Lord 
gave us a family blessing while we were en- 
gaged in prayer : after breakfast Br. Hopper 
sent his boy with a sleigh to take me to Peeks- 
kill. The brethren there were holding a pro- 



JAMES P. HORTON, 



199 



tracted meeting, and hearing that I was com- 
ing, were on the look out for me, but I conclud- 
ed I had stayed so long, holding meetings in 
different places, that I must push on for New- 
York ; so I requested the boy to take me some 
distance below the village. After I left the 
sleigh, I travelled on foot very good naturedly 
until I came to Squire Anderson's, near the old 
camp-meeting ground at Croton ; there I found 
Br. John Urmy's daughter and her husband, 
Br. A.'s son, They were wonderfully glad to 
see me ; so they said, 44 Now, Br. Horton, you 
must stay here to-night, we are going to have 
meeting here.*' At the appointed time the 
people came together and filled the room, and 
I had to try to preach a little in my way ; I 
took these words for my text : " But now, be- 
ing made free from sin, and become servants to 
God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the 
end everlasting life." I was wonderfully bless* 
ed while speaking : I think I never had greater 
liberty in preaching in my life. After the ser- 
mon was ended, I told the people we would have 
a little love-feast, A number spoke sweetly of 
the love of Jesus. " Now," said I, " let us have 
a little praying." A number of the brethren 
prayed, and the Spirit of the Lord was there to 
bless. After this, the friends gave me some 
money to help me on my way. Next morning 
Br. Anderson took me in his sleigh as far 
as Quaker Bridge. I stopped at the house 
of a good sister on the way to rest a little; she 
gave me an excellent dinner, and I had a pre* 



200 



A NARRATIVE OF 



cious season in praying with the family. After 
resting, I bade them farewell and proceeded to 
Singsing. I stopped at Br. J. Urmy's ; the 
friends had commenced a protracted meeting 
the day before. We went to meeting that 
night ; Br. Vandusen preached ; a number were 
at the altar during prayer-meeting, three of 
whom found peace and joy in believing. I went 
home with Br. Isaac Smith, and had a happy 
time in family prayer night and morning. Next 
night Br. Clark preached from these words ; 
"The life which I now live in the flesh, is by 
faith in the Son of God." A sweet sermon, 
after which we had a prayer-meeting, during 
which ten or twelve persons found the blessing 
of pardon, and were happy in the love of God. 
My soul was very happy, glory be to God ; I 
felt as young as I did when I first set out. Among 
those converted was the daughter of Br. I. S. 
The next day Br. Isaac took me in his sleigh to 
Tarrytown, to a quarterly meeting ; there I 
met with a number of my good old brethren, 
and had a most excellent prayer-meeting on 
Saturday evening. I prayed and exhorted 
three or four times, and was wonderfully bless- 
ed. Next morning, being sabbath, had a love- 
feast ; it was a refreshing season ; that night 
Br. Crosby took me in his cutter to Green- 
burg, on the old battle-ground. We had meet- 
ing in the school-house ; there I sung, prayed, 
and exhorted : the people of God shouted, and 
it was a happy time. Next night we had a 
meeting at Br. Lozee's; it was Br. Sillick's 



! 



JAMES P. H0RT0N. 201 

! appointment to preach, but he and the brethren 
'j insisted that I should go at it, so I had to gra- 
tify them ; and the Lord helped me in my old 
way to speak to the people fh his name : the 
I Lord blessed it to them, many were made very 
happy, and some shouted aloud. I told them I 
|j liked to hear the Lord's people shout glory : that 
I was grammar. The next night I had to try 
again at the house of Br. Sillick ; sung, ex- 
horted, and prayed ; the Lord was present in 
• mercy to bless us. Next day one of the bre- 
thren took me in his wagon over to White 
Plains : stopped at Br. D. Miller's; all very glad 
to see me ; took dinner with them ; Br. Miller 
took me in his wagon to widow Sandford's, at 
Mamaroneck. In the evening we went to the 
church, where there was a protracted meeting 
in progress. I fell in with Brs. Osborn and 
Chamberlain, and had a good time that night. 
After meeting I went home with Br. Foshay, 
on the Neck, in company with Br. Osborn — 
had family prayer, during which Br. Foshay 
was so filled with the love of God that he 
shouted aloud. I stayed with the brethren 
here about a week, and had meeting. During 
the sabbath all the meetings were lively, har- 
monious, and precious to my soul — a number 
of precious souls were happily converted. On 
Wednesday I took my leave of these dear 
friends : they gave me money to pay my fare 
to New-York. When I arrived in the city, I 
saw Br. G. Hibberd. He took me with him 
to his wife's uncle up town, where we took 



202 



A NARRATIVE OF 



tea, and had an agreeable visit. That night I 
led Br. G.'s class, and had a good old-fashioned 
time. 

I then went over to Bedford-street, and 
visited among the brethren, sung and prayed, 
and had a very pleasant time. On Sunday 
evening, after meeting closed in the church, 
as the people were retiring, T sung. After I 
had sung, they wished me to relate my expe- 
rience, and I had to comply with their wishes. 
The Lord blessed me in it. Glory be to God ! 
the Lord awakened one young woman while 
I was telling my experience. In a short time 
she was happily converted, and came out very 
bright ; so the Lord is pleased to make use of 
very weak instruments in saving souls. On 
Tuesday evening I led brother Seeley's class. 
While speaking to the members, I came to a 
young woman that was at the altar not long 
since, with feathers in her hat; but she had 
taken down her sign, the feathers were gone. 
I spoke to her, and she arose and said she 
-was determined to seek the Lord while she 
had breath. I told her she would not go far 
before she would find him ; so after I had got 
through, while Br. S. was going around with 
his book, I went to the young woman and be- 
gan to sing, "Alas, and did my Saviour bleed, " 
and she got in a great struggle of mind. Says 
I, "|Kneel down and I will pray with you so 
she fell upon her knees, and I prayed with 
her : after which I began to sing, and the 
power of the Lord fell upon her, and she soon 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



203 



lost her strength ; she was gone a few mo- 
ments only, and then came too very happy, 
and praised the Lord for his wonderful mercy 
to her soul. Then I said, "Let us thank the 
Lord for what he has done ;" so I kneeled 
down and praised, and blessed, and thanked 
the Lord, and gave him all the glory. After 
I had prayed, she began and prayed like an 
old Israelite, and it was a time long to be re- 
membered, 

After this I came over to my daughter's, 
and attended at Willet-street a number of 
times during the protracted meeting held 
there. One night there was a young woman 
at the altar, and continued there during the 
prayer-meeting. After meeting was dismissed, 
I kneeled down by her, and felt unwilling 
to let her go before she experienced religion. 
I prayed for her several times, and the Lord 
converted her soul. After she had expe- 
rienced the blessing, I looked up, and behold 
all the brethren had left the altar, and were 
warming themselves around the stoves, (it 
was a very cold night,) but I had not had time 
to get cold. I had a number of pleasant and 
happy meetings with the brethren there. One 
night I went to brother Peter McNamara's 
class, and there we had a happy time. Floods 
of glory, and light, and heaven came pouring 
in upon us from the upper world. I visited 
some other classes also. I attended a prayer- 
meeting in Eldridge-street, at the house of 
brother Hedges. The King of glory was 



204 



A NARRATIVE OF 



present, and blessed us so that our little cups 
ran over, and we shouted the praises of Jesus, 
That night I was as happy in my soul and 
body as I could well be. Next morning I 
went to Hester-street to visit an old gentle- 
man that was sick with the consumption. I 
visited him a few days before : at that time he 
said he did not feel quite satisfied with his ex- 
perience—his mind was not as clear as he de- 
sired to have it. I had exhorted him to seek 
the Lord with all his heart, telling him that 
God would dissolve his whole soul in love. I 
found him at this visit more comfortable. I 
asked him if he had received any good news 
from above. The tears started in his eyes. 
I then read to him from the Psalms, sung and 
prayed, and it was a refreshing season to the 
old man, his wife, and children, and myself: 
so I bade him good bye. 

Having now, by the blessing of God ? 
brought my narrative to a close, but little 
remains for me except to trim my lamp and 
see that my vessel is well supplied with oil, 
so as to be ready for my departure when my 
Jesus shall call for me to come home to my 
heavenly mansion. I feel an assurance that 
it will not be long before I shall go up to the 
city above, and see the King in his beauty. 
I am now past seventy years old, and through 
the abounding goodness of my God, I am this 
day moving onward to the heavenly land ; and 
though I have passed through a great many 
trials during the forty years I have been on my 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



205 



journey, the Lord has been a present help to 
me since the day I gave my heart to him, so 
that I may most joyfully sing, 

" Here I'll raise my ebenezer : 
Hither by thy help I've come, 
And I hope by thy good pleasure 
Safely to arrive at home." 

Bless the Lord, I have not a doubt in my 
mind, but by his grace I shall reach the fair 
climes of ineffable beauty, and see all my Fa- 
ther's children gathered from the four quarters 
of the globe, and with them shine to the praise 
of his glory to all eternity, and gaze with rap- 
turous love upon the beauty of Him that sit- 
teth upon the throne for ever and ever. I 
expect the greatest wonder that will be there, 
will be that such a great sinner as I have been 
washed and made clean through the blood of 
the Lamb, and presented before the throne 
as a trophy of grace. But such is the good 
pleasure of my heavenly Father, for Jesus 
hath loved me, and given himself for me. 
Hallelujah for ever and ever ! 

And now, in conclusion, I pray the Lord 
Jesus Christ, that this book may be made a 
blessing to all into whose hands it may fall. 
This is my sincere and humble prayer to 
Almighty God. 



206 A NARRATIVE OF 

THE CHRISTIAN MARINER. 

When for the eternal world we steer, 

And seas are calm, and skies are clear, 

And faith in lively exercise, 

A sinful world behind us lies ; 

My soul for joy then claps her wings, 

And in her lovely sonnet sings, 

Vain world, adieu, &c. 

But soon the raging storms appear, 
And reason dreads some danger near; 
Hope sits aloft while storms prevail, 
Faith minds the helm, love reefs the sail ; 
When every needful thing is done, 
In prayer to Christ that instant run, 

Good Lord, save me, &c. 

Succeeding days and nights go on ; 
Faith sometimes thinks the passage long ; 
But resignation says, You know 
Your patience you should ne'er let go, 
But by all means to make more sail, 
And exercise your utmost zeal, 

To make heaven sure, &,c. 

Thus toss'd by tempest to and fro, 
And where she's drifting scarcely know ; 
Although the raging storms prevail, 
The faithful compass does not fail ; 
Again the weather's calm and clear, 
And waves subside and stars appear, 
Thanks be to God, &c. 

Every needful means she tries 
To force her passage to the skies ; 
Truth navigation say you'll find, 
This world is left so far behind, 
That Canaan's coast must be near, 
Look out for land and do not fear, 

For heaven is sure, &c, 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



20? 



Triumphant faith the hills explore, 
On Canaan's high eternal shore ; 
The tree of life, the pasture green, 
The golden streets, and crystal stream ; 
Again for joy she claps her wings, 
Again her heavenly sonnet sings, 
Glory to God, &c. 

The nearer that she draws to land, 
More eager all her powers expand ; 
With steady course and well-bent sail, 
Her anchor drops within the veil, 
Again for joy she claps her wings ; 
And loud her heavenly anthem sings, 
On Canaan's shores, &c. 



THE BOWER OF PRAYER. 

SECOND PART. 

Through cold winds and storms, o'er mountains I'll go, 

I'll follow my Saviour, I'll leave all below, 

For here is no city for me to repair, 

I'll follow my Saviour, he's answer'd my prayer. 

How often my mind will revisit the bower 
Where sweetly I've linger'd for many an hour, 
How sweet were the joys I tasted while there, 
Since Jesus first found me and answer'd my prayer ! 

Although I may never return to that shade, 

Yet I will remember the vows I have made ; 

And though at a distance my mind will be there, 

To the place where my Saviour first answer'd my prayer. 

Though far from my home I'll continue to pray, 
And seek for protection by night and by day, 
Till I in his kingdom his glory do share, 
Enjoying for ever the answer to prayer. 



208 



A NARRATIVE OF 



APPENDIX. 

[The printer had no means of determining the proper 
place for what follows : it is therefore added as an 
Appendix.] 

Brother Billy Hibbard engaged me to go 
with him around the circuit. He asked me 
how much I could earn at my trade : I told 
him. "Well," he said, "come with me, and 
I will engage that you shall have your full 
pay." So I agreed to go with him, and was 
to meet him at Peter Earner's. Brother For- 
beson lent me his horse, and I started, much 
depressed in spirit. Brother Hibbard preach- 
ed that night from Matt. 2d chapter and 13th 
verse. I believe the Lord directed him to 
take that text for me, for while he was preach- 
ing from it I was very much blessed, and de- 
livered from my depiession of mind. 

The next morning we started for the next 
appointment, in Dover; held meeting in the 
afternoon, but few came out. Brother Hib- 
bard preached. At night there was a meet- 
ing in the white church at Dover, and we 
had a very good time ; some souls awakened. 
I stayed all night with J. B. Wheeler. Next 
day had a good time at Ebenezer Soles ; then 
went to Towerhill : held meeting at night, 
had a crowded house. Brother Hibbard 
preached an excellent sermon, after which I 
exhorted, and it was a precious time. The 



JAMES P. MORTON. 



209 



Lord poured out his Holy Spirit upon the 
people in a wonderful manner. Then we 
went to Oblong, and held meeting at brother 
V.'s. We had a very good time ; there were 
but few Methodists, but the Lord multiplied 
the number. We then went to Pine Swamp, 
in Connecticut : here we found a lively peo- 
ple. Brother H. preached, and I exhorted, 
and we had the shout of a king in the camp. 
Next night, in Sharon-hollow : here we had 
a thronged house. Brother H. preached a 
powerful sermon : I exhorted, I was so 
overwhelmed with the glory of God, that I 
wept over the congregation, and the power 
of the Loid came down upon the people ; 
they began to scream and cry aloud for mer- 
cy, and, gloiy to God ! five professed to ex- 
perience religion : numbers went home with 
sorrowful hearts, and soon after they found 
peace. A. few years since, brother Pearce 
and myself put up all night at the house of 
brother M'Kims, where this meeting was 
held. They were wonderfully glad to see 
me; they still remembered the meeting. The 
old man told me, that when he was married 
he was very poor — he hired with a man for a 
year, and when the year was up he had five 
dollars saved. He put that out at interest. 
After that he bought about an acre of land, 
put up a little log-house, and kept at work, 
and the Lord blessed his labour. After a while 
the Methodist preachers came along, and he 
went to hear them, and for the first time in his 
18* 



210 



f A NARRATIVE OF 



life, heard the glorious doctrine of free grace : 
the word of grace fastened on his heart. He 
had heard the contrary doctrine, but it had no 
effect to draw his heart to God ; but in this 
blessed sound of salvation to all, he felt that 
he w r as interested, and he sought the Lord 
with all his heart, and soon obtained the 
knowledge of salvation. He then erected 
the family altar ; the Lord awakened his dear 
wife, and she soon found the blessing of par- 
don ; and all his children, as they grew up 
one after another, were brought into the fold 
of Christ. His wife and some of his children 
had died happily in the Lord, and he had 
committed them to the tomb with the joyful 
hope of meeting them again. His house had 
been a preaching place for a number of years. 
His wicked neighbours used to say the Meth- 
odists would eat him up. " But," said the 
old man, " glory to God ! they have not eat me 
up vet ; for, to the utter astonishment of mv 
neighbours, who were so anxious on my ac- 
count, instead of being empoverished, as they 
supposed I must be, by the blessing of the 
Lord, I have added to my solitary acre of 
ground nearly five hundred ; and all my chil- 
dren that are living are doing well ;" and 
with tears of gratitude in his eyes, he said, 
11 I owe it all to God, through the instrumen- 
tality of Methodist preaching." 

Brother Hibbard and myself went to visit 
the family of sister T. They were a remark- 
ably happy family ; they were what we then 



JAMES P. HORTON. ¥ 211 

called laughing Methodists. I have seen them 
in time of meeting laughing heartily, while 
the tears of joy were running down their 
faces. We had a very pleasant visit. After 
this we held meeting at brother Stephens', in 
New-Marlborough. Brother H. preached a 
powerful sermon ; I exhorted, and closed the 
meeting with prayer. It was a precious time. 
After meeting there were some infidels who 
entered into controversy with brother Hib- 
bard. One said it was unreasonable to be- 
lieve anything that he could not see. 44 O 
yes," brother H. said he could] make him 
believe something that he had never seen. 
"No he still persisted that he would not 
believe what he could not see. " Well then," 
says brother H. 44 do you not believe that you 
have a back bone ?" 44 Yes," he said he knew 
that he had a back bone. 44 Then," said bro- 
ther H., 44 you believe in one thing that you 
have not seen, and I hope you never will see 
it." So when they found that their champion 
was caught in his own trap, they hauled off; 
and so the dispute ended. That night I fell 
in with a man and a woman, at the house 
where I put up. I asked them if they had re- 
ligion, and perceiving by their answers that 
they were strangers to it, I exhorted them to 
seek the salvation of the Lord, and went to 
prayer ; and the power of the Lord got hold 
of their hearts. They cried aloud for mercy. 
I continued to v/restle all night with them in 
singing and prayer. Neither of them was 



212 



A SAKRATIVE OF 



enabled to believe, but in a very short time 
after, they found the Lord. I afterward saw 
them at a camp-meeting at North Canaan; 
they were on their way to glory. 

After holding meetings at Mount Washing- 
ton we returned to Salisbury. Owing to some 
misunderstanding, about the appointment, 
there were but few people out. So brother 
H. said I must conduct the meeting. I ex- 
horted, sung and prayed, and the heavens 
opened, and floods of glory came down upon 
us. From that time religion began to revive 
in that place. I have had many precious 
meetings there. At night we started for Rei- 
lev's school-house, where brother Hibbard 
preached with the Holy Ghost sent down from 
heaven. After he had finished I exhorted, 
and closed with prayer, and there was a gene- 
ral move in the congregation : and from that 
time religion has been on the increase in that 
place. They afterward built a fine church 
there. We then went to Mount Ross, and 
held meeting, and thence to the Slate Quar- 
ries. The people here were nearly all Welsh. 
They were an humble, happy, people. After 
preaching and exhorting, some of the Welsh 
brethren and sisters prayed and sung in their 
own language. It was as sweet to my soul 
as honey and the honeycomb. In the class 
meeting they spoke very beautifully about the 
religion of the Lord Jesus Christ, and I felt 
to praise the Lord that these dear people from 
a foreign land, by his providence had been 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



213 



permitted to live in a society together, and 
had been brought nigh by the blood of Christ. 
And I loved them with a pure heart fer- 
vently. 

On sabbath we went to Rhinebeck, and 
held meetings at the Flats, and it was a re- 
freshing time. After meeting, we went to 
Rev. F. Garrettson's, held a number of meet- 
ings through the week in the village, and at 
Red Hook. Some were awakened by the 
divine Spirit. On Friday we left Rhinebeck. 
In the evening we held meeting at the house 
of John Hall, in the Quaker neighbourhood, 
and the Lord was with us. The next day we 
parted. I had fulfilled my engagement, and 
according to agreement, I was to have four- 
teen dollars, being the amount of what I could 
have earned in the two weeks at my trade. 
Brother Hibbard had told me if I would go 
with him around the circuit he would give me 
as much as I could make during the time at 
my trade. He received some from one brother 
and some from another, on our route, and 
handed it all to me. And instead of fourteen 
there were twenty-nine dollars. I said it was 
too much, he had only agreed to give me four- 
teen. But he said it was all right, and made 
me take the whole. Brother Hibbard said, 
"Brother Horton, you told the people they 
might be seft if they would. I should like to 
know what you meant by it." I told him I 
meant that they might all be saved if they 
would. He laughed a little at my grammar, 



214 



A NARRATIVE OF 



but was very well please;) with my labours', 
and so we parted. After this brother Sombo- 
and I went to Pawlingstown, and held meet- 
ing on Saturday evening, and also Sunday, at 
brother Pearce's. The house was crowded 
with people, and it was a melting season. 
Squire Pearce was a whole-hearted Methodist* 
The way the old gentleman became awakened 
and converted was this : he attended court at 
Poughkeepsie — he left his horse at brother 
Haywood's on Friday night, and on Saturday- 
morning he came for him. And while he was 
there brother Thatcher attended family prayer. 
During prayer the squire's former views 
of doctrine were very much changed. Before 
he went away he invited brother Thatcher to 
preach at his house. He said he might give 
out an appointment for him at a certain time. 
So the squire gave out word that there 
would be preaching at his house. Ac- 
cording to agreement, brother Thatcher went 
and preached. Shortly after the old squire 
was converted and brought up out of that re- 
gion of darkness and doubts in which he had 
been educated, into the principles of Method- 
ism, and became a zealous and powerful ad- 
vocate and defender of the doctrines of free 
£race. Then the work began to spread there. 
Some of his children experienced religion. 
His daughter. Mrs. Holly, and his son Hen- 
ry, united with the Methodists, and another 
son that experienced religion shortly after, 
went to work and raised a meeting-house; 



JAMES P. HORTON. 



215 



but bless the Lord, the fire that was kindled 
in the old squire's heart, and in the hearts of 
his children, continues to spread in that re- 
gion to this day, and many waters cannot 
quench it. About a year since, they held a 
protracted meeting in a school-house. The 
Lord poured out his Holy Spirit, and about one 
hundred souls were converted. Since then 
they have built a new church. 

At the time when the squire came out for 
God, the Methodist preachers and people 
were very much despised by all orders and 
denominations. Their doctrines were thought 
abominable. The priests lifted up the cry 
against them, and in the name of the Lord 
warned their flocks against them. They 
called them wolves in sheep's clothing. And 
they were afraid their pernicious doctrines 
would deceive the elect. They warned the 
people not to hear them on any account, for 
they were a parcel of deceivers. Even the 
Friends united with them. They called them 
hirelings and deceivers of the people. But 
glory to God ! in spite of all they could do or 
say against them and the doctrines they 
preached, the Lord awakened souls, and 
hundreds were made happy in the knowledge 
of salvation by the remission of sins. And 
blessed be the Lord, I have lived to see the 
day that through the influence of the delusive 
doctrines, free grace, as the priests were picas- 
ed to term them, these same priests have had 
to lay aside their favourite doctrine. Predo 



216 



A NARRATIVE, ETC. 



tination wont go in these days. Glory to 
God that Uncle Jimmy has lived to see the 
day when the doctrines once despised by the 
priests are sounding forth from the pulpits of 
almost all orders of people, and the work of 
reformation is going on. Hundreds and 
thousands of souls are awakened and converted 
under this, as they used to call it. " blasphe- 
mous doctrine." And now all hands are to 
work in the protracted meetings with Method- 
ist tools. And the universal cry is, "Why 
dont you come and hear our ministers ! 
They preach just like the Methodist preach- 
ers — they preach that Christ died for all." 
and whether the priests really believe the 
doctrine of free grace or not, the Lord blesses 
the truth, and the people are blessed by it. 
And thousands have now a know-so religion 
instead of a mere hope-so. Yes, bless the 
Lord, many can tell trie time when, and the 
place where they obtained it. 

I was told once by a man that I was a 
clasphemer, and that I was not fit to run 
at large — I ought to be put in prison, and 
kept there, because I told him inat God for 
Christ's sake had forgiven me all my sins. 
But now, glory to God in the highest, the 
Methodists are not alone in this "blasphe- 
mous delusion." I hear Baptists and Pres- 
byterians talking the same as the Methodists 
about experimental religion. 

THE END. 



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